That Which Time Cannot Erase
by Nonnie
Summary: Summary – Josh Lyman meets Eleanor Bartlet during the campaign and falls in love with the young, married medical student. This is my first WW fic! COMPLETE! Please read & review!
1. Introductions

Disclaimer – I don't own any of these characters – they are the property of NBC, John Wells and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin.  
  
Rating – PG for now  
  
Pairings – Josh/Ellie, Ellie/OC  
  
Spoilers – None  
  
Summary – Josh Lyman meets Eleanor Bartlet during the campaign and falls in love with the young, married medical student. For the purposes of my story, Ellie is several years older in this story and very different than she is on the show.  
  
I've had this story in my head for years, and have finally forged the courage to begin writing. Here's hoping you enjoy it!! The song by Evanescence, "My Immortal" is the soundtrack for the story.

* * *

"Donna!" Josh bellowed, standing outside his campaign headquarters office. His assistant was at his side in a second. Josh pointed inside his office, to the beautiful, young brunette standing inside. "There's a woman in my office."  
  
"I'm glad you know the difference," Donna answered sarcastically, attempting to return to her previous task.  
  
"Why is there a woman in my office?" Josh asked, turning to face Donna.  
  
"Because she wants to meet you," Donna answered. "I can't imagine why, though."  
  
"Oh," Josh replied, stepping inside. He extended his hand to the young woman in front of him. "Josh Lyman."  
  
She shook his hand firmly and smiled. Up close, the woman was even more beautiful than he'd previously thought. "Eleanor McGarry," she answered.  
  
"McGarry? Leo's daughter?" Josh furrowed his brow in confusion. "I thought her name was Mallory."  
  
"It is," she answered. "I'm Leo's daughter-in-law and the Governor's daughter."  
  
"Which governor?" Josh asked distractedly, sitting down at his desk and rummaging through a stack of papers. "Donna!" he screamed again.  
  
"What?" she asked, standing in the doorway. "Hi, Ellie," she said, turning her attention from Josh.  
  
"You two know one another?" Josh asked curiously.  
  
"She's Governor Bartlet's daughter and I met her earlier," Donna explained, crossing over to the desk and removing Josh's hands from the pile. "Tell me what you are looking for," she demanded.  
  
"Joey Lucas's telephone number," he explained. "I need those polling numbers."  
  
Donna motioned for him to stand and then sat down in his chair, turning to face his computer. She brought up the screen and clicked on his address book, finding Joey's number quickly. "Ask and you shall receive," she commented.  
  
Josh stared at her in amazement. "When did you put my address book in the computer?"  
  
"Yesterday," she answered with a shrug. "It's on your Palm Pilot too."  
  
"I have a Palm Pilot?"  
  
Donna rolled her eyes and let out an exasperated groan. "I'm not even going to justify that with a response."  
  
He turned to Eleanor with a flabbergasted grin. "I can't live without her, but please don't tell Leo. He still thinks I'm competent."  
  
"Good to know I'm needed," Donna answered smugly, returning to her desk outside Josh's office.  
  
He turned his attention back to Eleanor. "So, what can I do for you, Mrs. McGarry?"  
  
"Call me Ellie," she stated gently. "I'm sort of between jobs right now and I told Leo that I wanted to help with the campaign. He said to come see you."  
  
"Why are you between jobs?" Josh questioned.  
  
"I'm a doctor, Johns Hopkins," she explained. "I scheduled to start my residency in the fall, but I don't quite know where I'll be in the fall."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Well, since my father's running for President, I could very well decide to take a residency in Washington or Baltimore."  
  
"And there isn't something you'd rather be doing than working on this campaign?" he continued.  
  
"I could sit at home eating bon-bons, pining away for my husband, but it's not every day that a girl's father runs for President," she explained with a grin.  
  
Josh returned the grin and sat back down in his chair. "No, I guess not."  
  
"So," she said excitedly. "What can I do?"  
  
"Donna!" he shouted again, causing Ellie to jump slightly.  
  
"WHAT?" Donna asked, the tone of her voice barely concealing the annoyance she was currently feeling. "For God's sake Josh, there's not being able to live without me, and then...well...then there's this."  
  
Josh dismissed her exasperation with a grin. "Eleanor is coming to work for us this summer. Where do we need help?"  
  
"She could strap you to the chair and tape your mouth shut so that you can't scream my name anymore," she shot back.  
  
"As fun as that sounds, I meant that seriously."  
  
"So did I," she said through clenched teeth. "I need help with coordinating everything for the convention."  
  
"That sounds like fun," Ellie said, following a retreating Donna out the door. She stopped in the doorway and turned to face Josh again. "Thanks, Josh."  
  
"What, no Mr. Lyman?" he asked sarcastically.  
  
She shot him a megawatt grin. "I'm the future President's daughter, Josh. I don't have to call you Mr. Lyman." She spun on her heels and was gone.  
  
Josh grinned and settled back into his chair, watching Eleanor McGarry intently as she spoke with Donna while he dialed Joey Lucas' telephone number. He guessed that she was slightly taller than either of her parents. Her long, honey brown hair cascaded past her shoulders in slight waves. She wore a navy blue pantsuit with heels and a soft pink shell and was, quite possibly, one of the most beautiful women he'd ever laid eyes on. She had her mother's incredible sense of style and her father's innate confidence.  
  
He spoke with Joey for about five minutes and hung up just as the Governor entered the office. Jed Bartlet immediately crossed over to his daughter and kissed her on the cheek. He whispered something to her and Ellie laughed, blushing slightly at her father's comment. The Governor looked over his daughter's shoulder and into Josh's office.  
  
"Governor," Josh said brightly, standing as the older man stepped into his office.  
  
"You're going to be nice to my daughter," he warned, glaring at his campaign director with steely eyes.  
  
"Of course, sir," Josh answered.  
  
"You'll treat her with the dignity and respect she deserves. You'll take care of her and make sure she takes care of herself," the Governor continued.  
  
Josh grinned. "Am I hiring her or marrying her?" he asked with a smirk.  
  
"I'm not laughing, Joshua."  
  
Josh swallowed the grin. "No sir, I can see that."  
  
"Her husband is trained to fly fighter jets equipped with state-of-the-art navigational bombs, Josh. I wouldn't make either of us angry if I were you."  
  
"No, sir."  
  
"Okay, as long as we're understood." Bartlet tugged on the front of his suit jacket. "What's next?" he asked, looking over his shoulder at Leo McGarry.  
  
"You have the electricians union at one," Leo explained. "We should be going. Josh, you're in this one."  
  
"Yeah," Josh answered, jumping up and grabbing his jacket and book bag. He slid into the soft grey fabric and hustled out of his office, stopping at Donna's desk. She and Ellie were engrossed in something they were reading on Donna's computer screen.  
  
"Goofing off, already?" Josh teased.  
  
Neither woman answered him, instead both pointed to the door. Josh got the message and shook his head, muttering, "Now I have to deal with two of them," under his breath as he followed Bartlet and Leo out the door and into the waiting limousine.  
  
TBC.... 


	2. Diagnosis

Disclaimer – I don't own any of these characters – they are the property of NBC, John Wells and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin.  
  
Rating – PG for now  
  
Pairings – Josh/Ellie, Ellie/OC  
  
Spoilers – None  
  
Summary – Josh Lyman meets Eleanor Bartlet during the campaign and falls in love with the young, married medical student. For the purposes of my story, Ellie is several years older in this story and very different than she is on the show.  
  
I've had this story in my head for years, and have finally forged the courage to begin writing. Here's hoping you enjoy it!! The song by Evanescence, "My Immortal" is the soundtrack for the story.

* * *

Josh sat quietly in the meeting with the electrician's union, studying Governor Bartlet's face as he spoke to the assembled group, trying to figure out whether Ellie Bartlet resembled her father or her mother more.  
  
"That's exactly what I'm saying, John," the Governor nodded furiously, capturing Josh's attention, "Jobs need to stay here, in the good old US of A."  
  
"Glad we're in agreement there, Governor," the man Josh assumed was "John" answered.  
  
"We are, John," the Governor said, extending his hand to the man. Josh glanced over at Leo, who was hanging back in one corner, grinning like an idiot. Josh stood and smoothed his jacket, making his way over to Leo.  
  
"You're smiling," Josh said with a grin of his own.  
  
"I am?" Leo questioned, feigning ignorance.  
  
"We're going to the White House, aren't we, Leo?"  
  
Leo regarded Josh's question earnestly, then slapped his campaign director on the shoulder. "I'd say that's a pretty fair bet, Josh. It's time to go," Leo said, checking his watch.

* * *

Josh yawned and stretched, glancing at his watch as he extended his arms in front of him. It was almost eleven o'clock in the evening and Josh was exhausted. Campaign headquarters pretty much ran 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and tonight was no different. Josh often commented that it was good preparation for the White House. He stood from his desk, stretching his legs.  
  
He made his way down the hallway, in search of the freshly brewed coffee he could smell somewhere in the building. A light in the workroom caught his attention and he paused in the doorway. Ellie was sitting at the table, papers and folders spread out in front of her as she prepared packets for the Democratic National Convention. She'd pulled her long brown hair into a loose ponytail and had removed the navy blue pinstripe jacket she'd been wearing earlier that day. The pink blouse hugged her curves, revealing the outline of her breasts.  
  
She glanced up and caught him standing in the doorway. "Take a picture, it'll last longer," she teased, stretching back in the chair as he began to blush furiously.  
  
"What?" he asked, blushing furiously, realizing he'd been staring at her. "I'm sorry, I zoned out."  
  
"Well, don't just stand there, come help me," she gently commanded, holding out a stack of folders. He grinned and sat down beside her while she began explaining how to pack the folders.  
  
"What exactly are you still doing here?" Josh asked. "It's eleven o'clock at night, isn't your husband wondering where you are?"  
  
He didn't miss the quick flash of loneliness in her eyes. She smiled weakly and picked up another folder. "David is overseas," she explained, choosing each word carefully.  
  
"What does he do?" Josh questioned, watching each expression she gave him carefully.  
  
"He's a Navy pilot, a Commander. He flies F-18 jets," she responded.  
  
"And he's overseas?" Josh eyed her curiously as she nodded. "Where?"  
  
"Um, I'm don't really know," she said with a shrug.  
  
Josh stared at her. "How can you not know?"  
  
"I'm on a need-to-know basis," she laughed bitterly, "and most things I clearly don't need to know."  
  
"He flies secret missions?"  
  
She offered him another weak smile. "Something like that."  
  
Josh looked away, concentrating on the folders in front of him. "You must get lonely," he commented; then silently cursed his insane habit of saying everything that popped into his head.  
  
Ellie laughed and leaned back in the chair. "That's why I'm doing this," she answered honestly, patting Josh on the back. "Besides, I have this strange feeling that with you around, my life will be, at the very least, interesting."  
  
"Should I take that as a compliment, Doc?" he asked with a mega-watt grin.  
  
Ellie laughed again and rolled her eyes. "Doc?"  
  
He grinned. "Hey, don't laugh, I've been working on that all day. It's your new nickname."  
  
Ellie shook her head. "Can't say it's all that original."  
  
"Original isn't always better, Ellie."  
  
"You can say that again."  
  
"Original isn't....," Josh repeated and Ellie slugged him on the arm. "Ow," he mouthed.  
  
Ellie laughed again, and Josh realized at that moment how beautiful it sounded. "I can't imagine how Donna puts up with you," she shook her head with exasperated movement.  
  
"Alcohol, probably, maybe sedatives," Josh joked. "I don't know, though, I've never asked her. Maybe she's got some sadomasochistic tendencies."  
  
"Maybe you have the sadomasochistic tendencies," she replied with a smirk.  
  
"Now that's just not fair," he argued, a grin threatening to erupt on his face. "You haven't known me long enough to make that judgment. You should at least know me for a week."  
  
Ellie reached over and grabbed a pen and a sheet of paper, scribbling on it furiously, then handing it to Josh.  
  
"What's this?" he asked curiously, examining the sheet.  
  
"It says that in one week, I get to pass judgment on you," she answered, handing him the pen. "Sign it."  
  
"You're nuts," Josh laughed, pushing her hand away. "I learned a long time ago not to sign anything a woman hands me."  
  
Ellie eyed him curiously. "Oooooh, now that's interesting."  
  
Josh glared at her. "What's interesting? Last time I checked – you're an MD, not a psychologist."  
  
"Every doctor does a psych round, Josh, sorry to disappoint you."  
  
"So, diagnose me, Doctor McGarry," he said irritably, dropping a pile of completed folders onto the floor.  
  
"Well, first of all," she said with a grin, "I've obviously hit a nerve."  
  
"You didn't hit any nerve," Josh argued. "I just don't like having a conversation changed mid-stream."  
  
"Yeah, that's it," Ellie rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. She grinned at him and poked his arm with her finger. Josh attempted to glare at her, but ended up grinning back. He poked her back. "Stop," he demanded with a laugh.  
  
She poked his arm again. "No, you stop."  
  
"No," Josh answered with a quick jab to her upper arm. "You stop."  
  
"You."  
  
"You."  
  
Ellie burst into laughter. "Okay, let's both stop. Obviously if we're acting like two year olds, we need some sleep." She stood from the table and grabbed her jacket from the back of the chair. Josh watched her intently as she slid her right arm into the sleeve, then her left.  
  
"Is that an offer, Doc?" he smirked.  
  
"You really are a Neanderthal, you know that?" Ellie shot back, yanking the ponytail holder out of her hair, causing the brunette waves to cascade over her shoulders.  
  
Josh laughed and stood as well, lifting her hair from beneath her jacket collar. "No passing judgment for six more days," he reminded her with a grin.  
  
Ellie rolled her eyes and stepped out of the workroom, flipping the light switch and leaving Josh in complete darkness. He followed her down the hallway and stopped briefly in his office to pick up his briefcase and jacket. Without another word, he led her outside and opened her car door for her. Ellie slid into the leather seat of her BMW and glanced up at him as she stuck the key in the ignition.  
  
"See you tomorrow," she said, offering him another of the smiles he was quickly coming to love.  
  
"Yeah," he answered, shutting the door for her. He watched as Ellie sped away; then ran a hand through his auburn hair. "What are you doing, Lyman?" he asked aloud. "She's married," he reminded himself with a heavy sigh.  
  
TBC..... 


	3. 2 am Snacks

Disclaimer – I don't own any of these characters – they are the property of NBC, John Wells and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin.  
  
Rating – PG for now  
  
Pairings – Josh/Ellie, Ellie/OC  
  
Spoilers – None  
  
Summary – Josh Lyman meets Eleanor Bartlet during the campaign and falls in love with the young, married medical student. For the purposes of my story, Ellie is several years older in this story and very different than she is on the show.  
  
I've had this story in my head for years, and have finally forged the courage to begin writing. Here's hoping you enjoy it!! The song by Evanescence, "My Immortal" is the soundtrack for the story.

* * *

Josh leaned against the closed front door of his hotel room and closed his eyes. The entire walk home, he'd done nothing but think of Ellie, trying to figure out what it was about this woman that had struck him so deeply. He'd been around beautiful women for most of his life, but somehow, this was different, and he just couldn't put his finger on it.  
  
He sighed and shook his head, crossing into the tiny kitchenette to pour himself a stiff drink. He downed the dark liquid in one gulp, sitting the glass back onto the counter. His cell phone rang in his pocket and he pulled it out, flipping the tiny silver phone open. "Josh Lyman," he answered.  
  
"Josh," Leo's voice was clear, but tinged with the slightest bit of exhaustion.  
  
"Yeah," Josh answered.  
  
"I need you to come to the residence, right now. We've got a situation," Leo explained.  
  
"What kind of situation?" Josh asked, already gathering his belongings and heading back out the door.  
  
"Hoynes," Leo said with only a hint of the annoyance Josh knew he really felt.  
  
"On my way," Josh said, climbing into his car.

* * *

"What does he mean he won't be my Vice President?" Jed Bartlet screamed, slamming his fists onto his dining room table and standing up. "He sure as hell isn't going to be President! What, is he too good to be Vice President?"  
  
"It's not that simple, Sir, and you know it," Josh said calmly, leaning back in the chair and stretching. He caught a glimpse of his watch – it was almost two in the morning. The Governor paced the room, deep in thought, clad in cotton pajamas and a thick navy blue robe.  
  
"What are you screaming about, Daddy?" Ellie asked from the doorway, capturing all of their attention. Her hands were firmly planted on her hips, her hair pulled back in a messy ponytail. She wore no makeup and was wearing a lime green tank top and lime green plaid cotton pajama pants.  
  
Josh swallowed hard and fought back the images swirling around in his brain, reminding himself for possibly the nine-thousandth time that he had no right to be thinking of her in that manner. She was a married woman, and worse, she was his boss' daughter.  
  
"Hoynes," the Governor frowned, plopping back into his chair.  
  
"Enough said," Ellie said with a shrug. "You boys hungry? I could make you something to eat."  
  
"That would be lovely, darling," Bartlet said affectionately; then pointed at Josh. "Josh, will you help her?"  
  
"Sure," Josh said, hoping he didn't sound too eager as he stood and followed Eleanor into the kitchen.  
  
She bent over to reach into the refrigerator and take out some deli meat and various types of cheeses. She then crossed over to the breadbox and took out a loaf of bread. "Will you get the condiments, Josh?" she asked quietly.  
  
"The what?" he asked with a laugh. For some unknown reason, he'd always found that word funny.  
  
"The condiments," she said again, obviously not amused by his laughter. "You know, mustard, mayo, pickles – or didn't they teach you that at Harvard?"  
  
Josh shook his head and reached into the refrigerator. "Did I tell you I went to Harvard?"  
  
"I asked around," Ellie answered honestly, diligently stacking the deli meat and cheese onto a slice of bread. "Wanted to know what I was up against."  
  
"Up against?" Josh asked curiously, handing her the mayo. "Should I be worried?"  
  
"Nope," she answered with a laugh, "You should be terrified."  
  
"I am," he agreed with a nod. "What else can I do?"  
  
She pointed to the pantry with her knife. "Chips in the pantry, sodas in the refrigerator. I figure you guys are going to be up a while yet."  
  
Josh opened the door to the pantry and peered inside, reaching for the bag of potato chips. "So, I didn't know you were living here with your parents," he commented.  
  
Ellie nodded and continued spreading mayo and mustard on the sandwiches. "It's too far to drive from Baltimore to Manchester, so I just decided to move in here for the summer."  
  
"How long have you and David been married?" he asked curiously, having completed his assigned tasks and crawling onto a barstool.  
  
"Three and a half years," she answered plainly. "But we've know each other since birth – at least since my birth."  
  
"That's pretty cool, I guess, you didn't have that weird getting to know each other period," he commented. "What kind of doctor are you going to be?"  
  
"What is this, twenty questions?" she teased, arranging the sandwiches and chips on plates.  
  
"Nah, I'm just trying to get through the weird get-to-know-you period quickly," he answered with a shrug.  
  
"I'm going to work in the E.R," she explained. "What did you study at Harvard?"  
  
"Pre-law, where'd you go to college?"  
  
"Notre Dame," she answered with a sly smile.  
  
"Ass-kisser," he shot back with a grin, acknowledging her father's love of all things Irish.  
  
"Takes one to know one," she said in a sing-song voice.  
  
"What's your point? I'm a politician, it's what I get paid to do," he answered, swiping several potato chips off the plate. She slapped his hand away and frowned.  
  
Leo stuck his head in the kitchen, glancing quickly between the two. "Ellie, come on," he whined. "I'd like to get my sandwich before I get to the White House."  
  
"God, you are whiny when you're tired," she said with an exasperated eye- roll, "It's no mystery where David gets it."  
  
Leo nodded, "I'll take full credit for that if you'll feed me."  
  
Ellie shook her head and handed two plates to Josh, balancing the other three between her hands and arms, delivering them securely into the dining room. She sat one plate down in front of Bartlet. "Ah, brain food," the Governor commented, kissing his daughter quickly on the cheek. "There are times I'm really glad I made you take that job waiting tables that summer," he commented, taking a quick bite of his sandwich.  
  
Ellie leaned in to Josh's ear. "He forbade me to take that job, but I did it anyway," she explained with a wink.  
  
Josh snickered and the Governor looked at them over his glasses. "I heard that, young lady and for it, you shall be punished. I'm sending you to your room for the rest of the night."  
  
Ellie fought the grin forming on her lips. "Gosh, Daddy, that's such a harsh punishment at 2 in the morning," she sassed. As she passed the Governor, he popped her on the rear. Ellie turned back to him and frowned. "Nice manners," she teased; then acknowledged the men in the room. "Night boys."  
  
"Night Ellie," they said in unison, too engrossed in their sandwiches to look up for even a moment. Josh caught her eye and she winked at him again.

* * *

_"Josh?" Ellie cooed seductively, running her fingers through his hair. "I can't fight it anymore," she whispered, tracing her tongue along the outline of his ear.  
  
God, she's beautiful, Josh thought to himself. Her honey brown hair hung loose over her shoulders, and the tight red dress she wore hugged every curve of her body. Josh swallowed hard and looked up at the woman now straddling his lap.  
  
"Fight what, Ellie?" he asked curiously, allowing his hands to rest on her hips.  
  
"This attraction, Josh, this thing between us, it's just too overwhelming, I just can't fight it anymore," she answered, ripping his shirt open. Buttons flew in every direction.  
  
"What...are...you...doing?" Josh stammered, trying desperately to gain some control over the situation.  
  
"Stop fighting, Josh, just give in to it, you know you want to," she urged, trailing her lips over his chest.  
  
She sat up and removed one strap of her dress from her shoulder, then the other. The phone on Josh's desk began ringing and he instinctively reached for it.  
  
"Ignore it," she demanded, running her hand through his hair again. "I want you so much Josh."  
  
"Ellie, I want you too, but I need to get the phone," he said remorsefully.  
  
"Forget the phone, Josh," she whispered, trailing her hand down his chest and onto his lap, massaging him through the fabric of his pants. "Forget the world, Josh, there's nobody here but you and me..."_  
  
Josh's eyes flew open and he slammed the snooze button on his alarm clock with his fist. Then he glanced at the clock and groaned. "What the hell was that?" he asked to no one in particular, burying his face in his pillow and letting out a scream.  
  
"Get a grip, Lyman," he said, shaking his head and swinging his legs over the side of the bed. He sighed and stood, heading into the bathroom for a shower.  
  
"This is going to be a long campaign," he commented aloud.  
  
TBC..... 


	4. On the Campaign Trail

Disclaimer – I don't own any of these characters – they are the property of NBC, John Wells and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin.  
  
Rating – PG for now  
  
Pairings – Josh/Ellie, Ellie/OC  
  
Spoilers – None  
  
Summary – Josh Lyman meets Eleanor Bartlet during the campaign and falls in love with the young, married medical student. For the purposes of my story, Ellie is several years older in this story and very different than she is on the show.  
  
I've had this story in my head for years, and have finally forged the courage to begin writing. Here's hoping you enjoy it!! The song by Evanescence, "My Immortal" is the soundtrack for the story.  
  
In my sick and twisted imagination, David McGarry looks peculiarly like Ron Livingston. If you don't know who Ron Livingston is A) you're missing out and B) check out either Band of Brothers on the History Channel (he plays Nixon) or the movie "Office Space".

* * *

"You know," Donna commented, taking the seat beside Josh on the train to Syracuse, "if Ellie wasn't already married, you two would be perfect for each other."  
  
Josh looked up from his reading and stared at this assistant with eyes as wide as saucers. "What did you say?" he stammered.  
  
Donna took a sip of her soda and rolled her eyes. "I said that you and Ellie would be perfect together."  
  
Josh rolled his eyes and sank deeper into his seat. "I'm going to pretend that you didn't just tell me that I'd be perfect for my boss's married daughter."  
  
Donna glared at him. "Well, you know it's true, Josh, I can tell you're attracted to her."  
  
"Am not," Josh shot back just as Ellie sat down across from him. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat and refused to make eye contact with her.  
  
"Attracted to who?" Ellie asked brightly, popping an M&M into her mouth.  
  
"Nobody," Josh said too quickly, focusing his attention on the speech in front of him.  
  
Ellie nudged Donna's leg with her foot. "Come on, Donnatella, you tell me, since Grumpy Pants over there won't."  
  
Josh glared at her. "I am not Grumpy Pants, I just don't feel like talking about who I may or may not be attracted to with the two of you," he shot back irritably.  
  
"Somebody needs some more sleep," Ellie pouted, her bottom lip stuck out dramatically.  
  
"Isn't your husband meeting us in Syracuse?" Josh asked, the tone of his voice still dripping with fury.  
  
Ellie broke out into a huge grin. "Yes, he is," she said happily.  
  
"So, isn't there something you should be doing right now?" he questioned.  
  
Ellie popped another M&M into her mouth. "Like what?"  
  
"Primping, I don't know," he said crossly.  
  
"I don't need to primp, Joshua, I'm naturally gorgeous," she said dramatically.  
  
Josh frowned and went back to reading the speech, wishing he didn't agree with her. Ellie glanced over at Donna, who looked away quickly. She nudged Josh with her foot, and he glanced up at her. "Oh, come on, that doesn't even get a snicker?" she asked with a smile.  
  
"I'm sorry," he muttered, staring back down at the speech.  
  
"What's bothering you, Josh?" she asked tenderly.  
  
"Nothing," he answered, never diverting his eyes from the papers.  
  
"Liar," she shot back, waiting for a response. "Fine, if you don't want to tell me."  
  
"I really don't," he answered flatly.  
  
"Ooookay," she drawled, rising from her seat. "I'll be up front primping if you need me." Josh looked up finally and watched Ellie making her way down the aisle of the train car, finally sitting down beside her father.  
  
Donna smacked him on the arm. "OW!" he howled, rubbing his arm. "What was that for?"  
  
"Moron," she answered, standing up defiantly and storming away.

* * *

Josh climbed out of the Suburban and offered a hand to Ellie and Donna as they stepped out. Ellie took his hand and immediately broke out into a huge grin. It was only after Josh returned her smile that he realized that she was looking past him.  
  
"David!" she squealed, sprinting past Josh and jumping into her husband's arms. David McGarry hugged his wife tightly and pressed a firm kiss to her lips, touching the sides of her face tenderly.  
  
"God, I missed you," he said gently, refusing to release his grip on her waist.  
  
"The feeling is definitely mutual," she said with a nod.  
  
"Hello, son," Leo said happily, stepping up to the couple. David finally released his hold on Ellie and enveloped his father into his arms.  
  
"Hey, Pop," David said, patting his father on the back.  
  
Leo stepped slightly away from his son and grasped David's face with his hands. "Handsome as ever," Leo teased. "Come on, I want you to meet everybody."  
  
David wrapped his arm around Ellie's waist and followed his father over to the Suburban, where the campaign team was beginning to unload. Josh watched the display; fighting back the jealousy he felt bubbling up in the pit of his stomach. Donna watched him with a knowing look on her face.  
  
Leo stepped over to Josh and patted the younger man on the shoulder. "Josh, I'd like you to meet my son, David. David, this is Josh Lyman, our Senior Political Director and Ellie's summer boss."  
  
David grinned and extended his hand to Josh. "Nice to meet you finally. Ellie's told me a lot about you." Then, he turned to Donna. "And you must be the fabulous Donnatella Moss."  
  
Donna blushed. "I must," she said with a grin.  
  
Josh fought the urge to roll his eyes and sized up David McGarry. Josh could just hear Donna now, calling David "classically handsome." He was tall – taller than Josh with jet-black hair and deep brown eyes. The chiseled features of his face were set on a perfectly toned physique – one most men would kill for.  
  
"Well, let's get this stuff inside, shall we?" David asked, clapping his hands together and then motioning for a hotel bellman.  
  
Once inside Josh's room, Donna swooned dramatically onto the bed. "Wow," she marveled. "I mean, wow, I have seen gorgeous men before, but....wow."  
  
"That's enough, Donnatella," Josh warned, flipping his suitcase open and taking out his shaving kit.  
  
"He looks like he just stepped out of a 1940s movie, you know?" Donna answered with a far-away look in her eyes.  
  
"That's nice," he said irritably, flicking the light on in the bathroom and arranging his toiletries on the counter.  
  
Donna rolled onto her stomach, facing him. "I'm sorry, Josh, that was very insensitive of me."  
  
"What are you talking about?" he asked angrily.  
  
"Well, it's not very nice of me to be mooning over David McGarry when you're in love with his wife," she explained.  
  
"I am not in love with...." Josh sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm not having this conversation with you."  
  
"And a Bah-humbug to you too!" she teased, rising from the bed and straightening her skirt. "I'm going to my room," she announced, heading for the door.  
  
"Thank God!" Josh shouted after her retreating form.  
  
TBC..... 


	5. Speeches and Realizations

Disclaimer – I don't own any of these characters – they are the property of NBC, John Wells and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin.  
  
Rating – PG for now  
  
Pairings – Josh/Ellie, Ellie/OC  
  
Spoilers – None  
  
Summary – Josh Lyman meets Eleanor Bartlet during the campaign and falls in love with the young, married medical student. For the purposes of my story, Ellie is several years older in this story and very different than she is on the show.  
  
I've had this story in my head for years, and have finally forged the courage to begin writing. Here's hoping you enjoy it!! The song by Evanescence, "My Immortal" is the soundtrack for the story.

* * *

Ellie stood at the podium in Syracuse, whipping the assembled crowd into a frenzy. Josh watched her, amazement at her pubic speaking ability mixed with sheer awe. She looked so comfortable behind the microphone, introducing her father; Josh could picture her as the wife of a politician.  
  
"Ladies and Gentleman, without further ado, here he is, the next President of the United States, Governor Josiah Bartlet!"  
  
The Governor took the stage to much fanfare, embracing his middle daughter and planting a kiss on her cheek. Ellie beamed with pride as she watched him step up to the microphone and she took her seat beside her husband on the stage. David immediately placed his arm on the back of Ellie's chair, leaning over and whispering something into her ear.  
  
She glanced up and caught Josh's eye. He gave her a thumbs-up and Ellie grinned. David tightened his grip on his wife's shoulder, his eyes darting quickly between her and Josh before returning his attention to the Governor's speech.  
  
"She's amazing, isn't she?" Sam whispered in his ear. Josh spun around to face him.  
  
"Yeah," he answered, almost inaudibly.  
  
"Josh?" Sam question, observing the fact that his best friend was intently watching Eleanor.  
  
"I'm not in love with her, Sam," Josh answered the younger man's unspoken question.  
  
"Yeah," he replied quietly.

* * *

"Soooo?" Ellie drawled, capturing Josh's elbow as the group made their way out of the hotel ballroom. "How did I do?"  
  
"Eh," Josh scrunched his face up, "I've seen better," he teased.  
  
Ellie stopped in her tracks and stared at him. "Are you kidding me?" she cried. "I had them eating out of the palm of my hand and you say 'I've seen better'? I thought you were supposed to be some kind of political genius."  
  
"About time you realized it," he shot back with a grin. "I'm just kidding, you did great."  
  
"Just great?" she pouted.  
  
"You did fantastic, Doc," he answered honestly, eliciting a huge smile from Ellie.  
  
"Thanks, I learned from the master," she replied.  
  
"Really, Ellie, I didn't have much to do with that speech."  
  
Ellie slapped him on the arm and rolled her eyes. "I was talking about my father, Neanderthal," she shot back. "Really, your ego is the size of Texas."  
  
"Actually, it's about the size of Mexico, but I don't want to get technical."  
  
Ellie rolled her eyes again and sighed dramatically. "David and I are going out for drinks and I think Toby and C.J. are coming, you want to join us?"  
  
Josh glanced back to where David was standing, talking to his father and Sam. "Nah, I think I'll sit this one out, I need my beauty sleep," he explained, "Some of us aren't as naturally gorgeous as you are."  
  
Ellie beamed. "Okay, already, you're forgiven for the 'Eh'. I'll see you later." Ellie spun around and walked away. She grasped David around the waist and whispered something to him. David laughed and kissed the top of her head. Sam glanced back at Josh, and Josh could see his best friend sigh. He slowly made his way over to where Josh was standing.  
  
"Not in love with her, huh?"  
  
"I'm not," Josh answered defiantly.  
  
"Maybe if you keep believing that..." Sam trailed off. "Let's go get a beer," he suggested.  
  
"Yeah," Josh answered quietly, casting another glance at Ellie before he left. She looked over at him and smiled.

* * *

"Donna!" Josh yelled, bent over his computer the next afternoon, furiously punching buttons. "Donna!"  
  
Ellie walked into the living room adjoining Josh's suite and stepped up beside him. "You're yelling again, Josh," she commented, looking over his shoulder.  
  
"It's what I do best," he answered irritably, "Deal with it."  
  
"What have you done?" Ellie asked, examining the computer screen, which was completely black.  
  
"I was reading the final draft of the Governor's Convention speech, and now, it's just gone," he cried.  
  
"It can't be gone, Josh."  
  
"Okay, you try and find it," he muttered, handing the laptop to her forcefully.  
  
"Manners, manners," she chided him, sitting down on the arm of the chair while he slumped back. Ellie moved the mouse button around and punched a few keys, handing the computer back to him.  
  
He stared open-mouthed at the screen – the contents of the speech again in plain view. "How," he stammered, "how did you do that?"  
  
"You locked the screen....again," she added. "You've got to stop doing that."  
  
"I'd stop doing it if I knew what the hell I was doing!" he screamed at her retreating form. "Where are you going?"  
  
Ellie stopped and turned around to face him. "Tonight the first night of the Convention, Josh. I've got daughter stuff to do instead of being the assistant to the assistant to the Chief Campaign Neuroses King," she rattled off the lengthy nickname she and Donna had given him.  
  
"You're a funny, funny woman, Ellie."  
  
"Thank you," she answered with a flip of her hair.  
  
Josh heard the lock on the door click and Donna pushed it open with her foot, balancing lunch in her arms. "Where have you been?" Josh asked irritably.  
  
Donna sighed and lay lunch down on the table, ignoring him. She unwrapped a turkey sandwich and handed it to him. "Eat," she commanded.  
  
"I've got to finish this speech," he answered.  
  
"Do two things at once," she shot back. Ellie sauntered back into the living room and placed her hands on her hips.  
  
"He locked the computer screen again," she tattled.  
  
"Josh! We went over that for almost an hour!" Donna screeched.  
  
"Will you BOTH just go away!" Josh hollered, jumping up from the chair with his laptop and sandwich, stalking into the bedroom and slamming the door.  
  
"What was that all about?" Ellie asked curiously, staring blankly at the closed door.  
  
"He's had his panties in a knot for two days," Donna sighed.  
  
"What about?" Ellie wondered aloud.  
  
"Your husband," Donna answered, stopping mid-way into picking up the pens and papers Josh had scattered over the floor when he stood. She stared at Ellie with her mouth open. "Ellie, I..." she stammered.  
  
"What about David?" Ellie asked, her eyes now tinged with hurt. "Josh doesn't like him...what?"  
  
Donna closed her eyes and sighed deeply. "No, he just really likes you. Ellie, I think he's got a crush on you."  
  
Ellie's eyes scanned the floor, as if the patterned carpet could provide her an answer as to why her boss suddenly had a crush on her. She looked up at Donna, tears welling up in her eyes. "I have to go," she said quietly, heading for the door.  
  
"Ellie," Donna called after her, but she was gone.  
  
TBC.... 


	6. Little Goodbyes

Disclaimer – I don't own any of these characters – they are the property of NBC, John Wells and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin.  
  
Rating – PG for now  
  
Pairings – Josh/Ellie, Ellie/OC  
  
Spoilers – None  
  
Summary – Josh Lyman meets Eleanor Bartlet during the campaign and falls in love with the young, married medical student. For the purposes of my story, Ellie is several years older in this story and very different than she is on the show.  
  
I've had this story in my head for years, and have finally forged the courage to begin writing. Here's hoping you enjoy it!! The song by Evanescence, "My Immortal" is the soundtrack for the story.  
  
This is a VERY short chapter – but it sets the stage for everything else to come.

* * *

Ellie placed a final item, her hairbrush, into her suitcase and snapped the latches shut. She turned to place the case on the floor and noticed Josh standing in the doorway, staring at her. It wasn't the first time she'd caught him like that, but she was still caught off guard by the intense feelings his gaze created in her.  
  
"You're leaving?" he asked quietly, stepping inside the room.  
  
"Kind of looks that way," she answered, just as quietly.  
  
His eyes traveled over the suitcases sitting on the floor beside the bed. "Why?" he asked.  
  
Ellie smiled weakly and sat down on the bed. "David is going to be home for a while and I'd like to spend some time with him before my residency begins," she explained. She hoped he couldn't sense that she was lying through her teeth.  
  
Josh swallowed hard and sat down beside her on the bed. "Ellie, if I've done anything..."  
  
Ellie shook her head and stared at him. "No, Josh, why would you think that?"  
  
He shrugged. "I don't know, things have just been different the past few days. I get the feeling that you're mad at me."  
  
"I'm not mad at you," she said quietly.  
  
"Then why?" he said desperately, turning to face her. "We can use David on the campaign trail. He's in the military, Ellie, we can use that."  
  
"First of all, Josh," she answered, "I don't want you using my husband. Second of all – he's gone all the time and I want to be with him as much as I can."  
  
"But you can be with him here."  
  
She shook her head. "No, Josh, I can't. I'm busy on the road, constantly. That's not exactly good quality time."  
  
"I'm going to miss you," he said absent-mindedly.  
  
She laughed. "Josh, you won't have time to miss me. The elections are twelve weeks away."  
  
He smiled his lop-sided smile. "Eleven weeks, two days, sixteen hours and 52 minutes," he clarified, looking at his watch and then added, "I'll find time to miss you." He sensed her discomfort at his revelation. Bravery, or stupidity, somehow found him. "You're leaving because of this, aren't you?" he asked quickly.  
  
Ellie swallowed hard and stood. "I don't know what you're talking about, Josh."  
  
He grabbed her arm. "I'm not crazy, Ellie, there's something between us, isn't there?"  
  
When her eyes met his, there was such sadness behind them that Josh was heartbroken. "Josh, please don't do this," she whispered, "I'm married."  
  
"I know, and that sucks, but just tell me I'm not crazy, Ellie," he begged.  
  
Ellie reached down and touched his cheek with her fingertips. "You're not crazy."  
  
She bent down and picked up her purse; then walked toward the door. She opened it and turned back to him. "Goodbye, Josh."  
  
TBC.... 


	7. Election Night

Disclaimer – I don't own any of these characters – they are the property of NBC, John Wells and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin.  
  
Rating – PG for now  
  
Pairings – Josh/Ellie, Ellie/OC  
  
Spoilers – None  
  
Summary – Josh Lyman meets Eleanor Bartlet during the campaign and falls in love with the young, married medical student. For the purposes of my story, Ellie is several years older in this story and very different than she is on the show.  
  
I've had this story in my head for years, and have finally forged the courage to begin writing. Here's hoping you enjoy it!! The song by Evanescence, "My Immortal" is the soundtrack for the story.

* * *

Newly elected President Josiah Bartlet popped the cork on the Cristal champagne bottle, sending foam spewing all over the room. "Bring on the glasses!" he ordered merrily, pouring champagne into every glass presented to him.  
  
Josh glanced at Ellie, sitting across the room on her husband's lap. She was wearing a light blue silk sheath and had removed her jacket hours ago. Pearls adorned her neck and ears and she looked exhausted. She caught his eye and smiled weakly at him. Josh swallowed the tears threatening to fall. This was supposed to be the happiest night of his life, and yet he was standing here, more miserable than he'd ever been.  
  
She was so beautiful, so smart, so funny, and in the eleven weeks she'd been gone, he'd thought of her nearly every moment of every day. She was his waking thought and in his dreams each night. He'd given up denying that he was in love with – at least to himself.  
  
"Josh!" President-Elect Bartlet bellowed. "Give me your glass! Why aren't you celebrating?"  
  
Josh couldn't help but laugh and handed his glass to his boss. "I am celebrating, Sir, in my own way."  
  
"Ah, screw your way!" he answered with a wave of his hand, "Celebrate MY way!"  
  
Josh laughed again and a smile broke out on his face. "Absolutely, Sir."  
  
"I'm the President, now, Joshua. I can make you do anything that I want."  
  
"Yes, Sir."  
  
"Anything, Joshua," he warned.

* * *

He found her, standing alone on the hotel balcony, looking out over the state capital skyline she'd called home for so many years. He watched her for a moment, her loose hair blowing in the crisp New England breeze. Her black coat now covered the blue dress. He stepped up beside her and whispered, "Hi."  
  
She turned to face him, noticing that he wasn't wearing a coat. "Josh, get back in there and get a coat, you'll freeze out here!"  
  
He shrugged. "Nah, I'm fine."  
  
"Josh, I'm a doctor, go get a damn coat."  
  
He grinned. "Make me," he demanded, resting his arms on the balcony rail.  
  
"Jackass," she shot back, fighting the grin tugging at her lips. She turned around and rested her back against the rail, pointing to the merriment inside. "So, what does this make me? Are Liz, Zoey and I all 'First Daughters' or is Liz 'First Daughter' and I'm 'Second Daughter'?"  
  
"I have no idea," Josh admitted with a laugh.  
  
"I guess it doesn't really matter," she shrugged; then nodded toward her father. "Look at him, Josh. This is what he was born to do."  
  
"Yes, it is," Josh agreed. He shivered slightly against the cold night.  
  
"Josh," Ellie rolled her eyes. "I told you to get a coat."  
  
"I will," he answered defiantly, "in a minute."  
  
"Fine," she replied, "Get pneumonia, see if I care."  
  
They stood in silence for a moment, Josh overlooking the city, Ellie looking in on the party. "Would you care?" he finally asked, his voice barely above a whisper.  
  
"Josh."  
  
"Ellie."  
  
"I'm pregnant," she said quietly.  
  
He inhaled sharply and hung his head down, willing his racing heart to slow down, even just a little. Not only was the woman he loved someone else's wife; she was going to be someone else's mother. "That's great," he answered.  
  
"You could be a little more enthusiastic," she shot back.  
  
"Yeah, I'm thrilled for you, Ellie," he said irritably, straightening up and facing her. "No seriously," he continued, "it's great, I'm happy for you and David."  
  
"Why are you acting like this?" she demanded.  
  
"What do you want me to do Ellie? Throw you a party because you're pregnant with your husband's kid?"  
  
"You could tell me how you really feel," she countered.  
  
"That could get us both in a hell of a lot of trouble, Ellie," he answered angrily, facing the door. "We should get back in."  
  
He held the door open and they stepped inside. The President-elect was holding court in the center of the suite, thanking his staff and many volunteers for their fine job on the campaign. "And just when I thought this day couldn't get any better," he explained to the crowd, making his way over to where Ellie and Josh were standing by the door, "my beautiful daughter tells me today that Leo and I are going to be grandfathers."  
  
He kissed Ellie on the temple as excited gasps and laughter filled the room. Well-wishers quickly made their way over to Ellie and David, who was at his wife's side in an instant. Josh stood off to the side, quietly drinking his champagne, wishing he could get his hands on something stronger.  
  
"I'm sorry," Donna whispered quietly in his ear.  
  
Josh shook his head. "There's nothing to be sorry for, Donna. I'm the one who fell in love with her, not the other way around."  
  
Donna smiled weakly and wrapped her arm around his waist, resting her head on his shoulder. "Well, I can still be sorry for you, and don't think I'm going to stop."  
  
He kissed the top of her head and whispered into her blonde hair, "Thanks."  
  
TBC.... 


	8. Complications

Disclaimer – I don't own any of these characters – they are the property of NBC, John Wells and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin.  
  
Rating – PG for now  
  
Pairings – Josh/Ellie, Ellie/OC  
  
Spoilers – None  
  
Summary – Josh Lyman meets Eleanor Bartlet during the campaign and falls in love with the young, married medical student. For the purposes of my story, Ellie is several years older in this story and very different than she is on the show.  
  
I've had this story in my head for years, and have finally forged the courage to begin writing. Here's hoping you enjoy it!! The song by Evanescence, "My Immortal" is the soundtrack for the story.

* * *

"Josh?" Donna stood in the doorway of his office, a pained expression set firmly on her face.  
  
"Donna, what's wrong?" he asked, closing one file on his piled-up next and opening another. The Bartlet administration had been in office for less than a week, and Josh was literally up to his eyeballs in paper.  
  
She bit her bottom lip and shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "I don't know if I should even be telling you this, but..."  
  
"Donna," he said irritably, "what is it?"  
  
"It's Ellie."  
  
The words stopped him dead in his tracks. Josh looked up from his desk to his assistant. "What about her?" he demanded.  
  
"That phone call a minute ago? It was from Mrs. Landingham," she explained, "she wanted to let the Senior Staff know that the President was on his way to the hospital..."  
  
Josh was already on his feet, grabbing his jacket and ever-present backpack. "Hospital?"  
  
"Walter Reed," she continued to explain as he brushed past her. She pursued him down the hallway, finally grabbing his arm. "Josh, stop."  
  
He spun and faced her. "What?"  
  
"I don't know that you should be there," she bit her bottom lip again, dreading the thought of going down this very dangerous path with her boss. "Ellie....Ellie had a miscarriage."  
  
"What?" Josh stammered, leaning against the wall for support. "But, she was doing so good, at least I thought..."  
  
"I don't know any specifics, Josh, just what Mrs. Landingham told me."  
  
"Where's David?" he demanded, gathering his composure and starting down the hall again.  
  
"Flying patrols in the Middle East," she answered.  
  
"Why is he never here when she needs him?" Josh growled.  
  
"Josh, that's not fair and you know it," she argued.  
  
"Whatever," he countered, making his way to the exit and turning to his assistant. "If you need me, I'll be at the hospital."

* * *

Josh knelt down beside the President in the hospital chapel. "Mr. President?" he whispered.  
  
The President closed his eyes and quietly wiped the tear rolling down his cheek. "My little girl is hurting more than I ever thought she could," he said, "Certainly more than I ever wanted her too. I've never felt more helpless in my life."  
  
"How is she?" Josh asked.  
  
"Physically, they say she'll be fine. Emotionally, I just don't know," he answered.  
  
"Sir, I'd really like to see her, if that would be okay with you and Mrs. Bartlet."  
  
The President eyed him with only minor suspicion. "You've been a good friend to her, Josh. I certainly wouldn't say no."  
  
"Thank you, Sir."  
  
The President nodded. "She's in room 312."  
  
He left the President in the chapel with his Secret Service agents and made the long walk down to the elevators, then a longer walk down the third floor hallway to room 312. He knocked gently on the door and pushed it open. The First Lady sat at Ellie's bedside, absent-mindedly stroking her daughter's hand and singing softly while she slept. Abbey Bartlet turned and looked at him with a blank expression. "Joshua," she finally acknowledged. "So nice of you to come."  
  
He motioned at Ellie. "How is she?"  
  
"She's sleeping," she answered, "but I don't know how peaceful it is. I think she may already be having nightmares."  
  
"What happened?" he asked quietly, sitting down in one of the chairs beside Ellie's bed.  
  
Abbey sighed heavily. "They don't know," she answered honestly. "Ellie woke up this morning in agony and came straight here. Josh, she'd been here almost five hours before she called. She didn't want to worry us," she scoffed. "Like I'm not worried enough now."  
  
"She seems to be pretty peaceful now. Why don't you get some coffee or something?" he offered, "I can stay here for a while."  
  
Abbey took a deep breath and gazed at her daughter. "I suppose I can do that." She stood and patted Josh on the leg. "I know my daughter's in good hands with you."  
  
"The best, Mrs. B," he answered.  
  
Abbey stepped out of the room, leaving Josh and Ellie alone. She stirred and he jumped out of his chair and into the one Mrs. Bartlet had been occupying, taking Ellie's hand in his. He reached his hand up and smoothed her hair with his fingers. "Hey, you're awake."  
  
Ellie closed her eyes again, and wiped tears away with her free hand. "I was never asleep," she answered, fighting the sobs threatening to overtake her. "I just couldn't listen to my mother say anymore that everything happens for a reason."  
  
"Well, I believe that shitty things sometimes happen and there is no reason," he said with a weak smile. "Is that better?"  
  
"It sounds better right now," she said quietly.  
  
He brought her hand up to his lips and placed a gentle kiss on her soft skin. "I'm so sorry, Ellie," he muttered.  
  
"Me too," she answered as she began to sob quietly. He climbed onto the bed beside her and wrapped her into his arms. He kissed the top of her head and held her tightly, rocking her gently while she cried. She fell asleep in his arms, resting against his chest with her arm draped around his waist. Abbey walked back into the hospital and, if she was stunned by the scene before her, she didn't let on.  
  
"She fell asleep," Josh said guiltily, "I didn't want to move and wake her."  
  
"It's fine, Joshua," she answered, handing him a cup of coffee.  
  
"Thanks," he replied, moving uncomfortably to take a sip of the hot liquid.  
  
"You care about my daughter, don't you?" Abbey asked, taking a seat in the chair Josh had occupied before.  
  
Josh tried to formulate an answer, but Abbey cut him off. "Come on, Josh, it's written all over your face and I'm an intelligent woman, it didn't take much to figure it out."  
  
"Yes, ma'am, I do," he answered truthfully.  
  
"How deep do these feelings run, Josh?" she continued questioning him.  
  
"I love her, Mrs. Bartlet," he said quietly.  
  
She nodded and sighed. "I know you do, Josh. What are you going to do about that?"  
  
Josh laughed bitterly. "Keep my damned mouth shut, Mrs. B. She's got enough to worry about without having to worry about me."  
  
"It's a difficult thing, Josh. Loving someone from afar. I've been there, have I told you the story?" Josh shook his head and she continued. "Jed. When I met Jed, he was head over heels in love with this girl named Jane. He wanted to be my friend. Ha! A friend. But I knew that I was in love with him already, and it hurt so much to see him with her." She paused and watched Josh's pained expression as he looked down at Ellie.  
  
"She loves you too, Josh."  
  
Josh stared at the First Lady, his face registering only half the shock he was feeling. "What?" he stammered.  
  
"She loves you, Josh. I think she has from the minute she laid eyes on you," Abbey explained. "She has no idea what to do about it, or how to handle it, but just know that she does."  
  
"What should I do?" Josh asked quietly.  
  
"Be here for her, like you are right now. She's going to need your friendship more than anything else right now. Please don't take it away from her because it hurts."  
  
He leaned back against the bed and sighed. "Never," he muttered, almost inaudibly.  
  
TBC.... 


	9. Wanderings

Disclaimer – I don't own any of these characters – they are the property of NBC, John Wells and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin.  
  
Rating – PG for now  
  
Pairings – Josh/Ellie, Ellie/OC  
  
Spoilers – None  
  
Summary – Josh Lyman meets Eleanor Bartlet during the campaign and falls in love with the young, married medical student. For the purposes of my story, Ellie is several years older in this story and very different than she is on the show.  
  
I've had this story in my head for years, and have finally forged the courage to begin writing. Here's hoping you enjoy it!! The song by Evanescence, "My Immortal" is the soundtrack for the story.

* * *

Ellie wandered aimlessly through the hallways of the West Wing, not quite sure of her destination. The past few weeks had been a blur. First, she lost the baby. Second, David simply couldn't get away from his top-secret missions to come home. Third, her parents moved her into the residence to keep an eye on her. It was almost as if they were afraid she might do something stupid. The loss of the baby hurt like hell, to be sure, but Ellie knew she'd be pregnant again someday.  
  
She passed staff members who smiled encouragingly and others who simply looked away as she passed. As a doctor, she'd been in many awkward situations and couldn't blame anyone for not having the right words.  
  
She sauntered up to Donna's desk and motioned toward Josh's office. "Is he in?" she asked quietly.  
  
Donna gazed up at the older woman, caught off guard by the emotions displayed behind her emerald green eyes. "Yeah," she muttered quickly, "Go on in."  
  
Ellie nodded and started for Josh's door. She knocked on the doorframe and smiled gently as his bent head flew up to greet her. "Hi," he said, rising from his seat and rounding the corner of his desk, "What are you doing here?"  
  
He took her arm and led her over to one of the brown leather guest chairs in his office. "Can I get you anything?"  
  
"Josh," Ellie said quietly, sitting down in the chair.  
  
"Donna!" Josh bellowed.  
  
"Josh," Ellie said again, more forcefully this time.  
  
"Yeah?" he asked.  
  
"Don't," she answered, grabbing his arm. "I'm fine, really."  
  
"Okay," he replied with a lopsided grin. "Never mind!" he shouted to his assistant.  
  
He sat down in the second chair and rested his arms on his knees. "So, what's up?" he asked gently.  
  
"Nothing," she shrugged. "Bored, I guess."  
  
Josh laughed. "Am I your new cure for boredom?"  
  
"No," Ellie answered, embarrassed, "That's not what I meant at all. I just..."  
  
"Ellie," he stopped her apology. "I was kidding."  
  
"Oh," she replied, sinking deep into the soft leather chair. She rested her head against the back and sighed.  
  
"You okay?" Josh asked gently, allowing his fingers to run lightly over her bare arm.  
  
"I guess," Ellie replied, turning her head to look at him. "What about you?"  
  
"Me?" he asked curiously. "I'm fine, why do you ask?"  
  
"Well," she sighed again, "Everything's been me, me, me for the past few weeks, and I haven't thought to ask about you." She glanced over at his desk and grinned. "Still swimming in paperwork?"  
  
"Drowning is more like it," he mused.  
  
"You'll get your head above it, Josh, you always do."  
  
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," he answered.  
  
"Anytime," she said with a small smile and stood. "I'm going to go."  
  
Josh stood with her and reached for her hand. He captured it in his own and Ellie turned to face him. He swallowed his jitters and rubbed his thumb over her hand. She looked down at their intertwined fingers and then back up at him. She reached up and gently ran her fingers along his stubbled jaw. "You should shave," she said quietly.  
  
He tilted his head down and brushed his lips over her fingers. Ellie's eyes fluttered, startled and overwhelmed by the emotions his simple action created. "Ellie," he said softly.  
  
She shook her head and stepped closer to him. Josh swallowed hard and his body went rigid as she touched his chest with her fingertips. Ellie's heart raced as she rose up on her tiptoes and ever so lightly pressed her lips against his. Josh felt as though he'd been shocked by electricity and before he could wrap his arms around her and deepen the kiss – Ellie had stepped away.  
  
"Thank you," she said quietly.  
  
"For what?" he asked when he finally found his voice.  
  
"Everything," she replied. "Josh, I..."  
  
He pressed his fingers over her lips. "Ellie, don't please. Just don't say anything."  
  
Ellie closed her eyes. "But, Josh," she argued, "I need for you to know how I feel."  
  
"I do," he said emphatically, "I feel the same way, Ellie, and someday, when you're stronger, we'll talk about it, but not today."  
  
"But, we will talk about it?" she asked.  
  
Josh smiled and tapped her nose with his finger. "I swear."  
  
"Okay," she answered with a nod. "I'm really going now."  
  
"Okay," he said, watching her retreat from his office. She got to the doorframe and stopped. She turned to face him again, opening her mouth to say something, then deciding against it.  
  
Josh nodded and tapped his heart with his hand. Ellie smiled and stepped out of his office.  
  
TBC.... 


	10. Rosslyn Part One

Disclaimer – I don't own any of these characters – they are the property of NBC, John Wells and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin.  
  
Rating – PG for now  
  
Pairings – Josh/Ellie, Ellie/OC  
  
Spoilers – None  
  
Summary – Josh Lyman meets Eleanor Bartlet during the campaign and falls in love with the young, married medical student. For the purposes of my story, Ellie is several years older in this story and very different than she is on the show.  
  
I've had this story in my head for years, and have finally forged the courage to begin writing. Here's hoping you enjoy it!! The song by Evanescence, "My Immortal" is the soundtrack for the story.

* * *

"Fight, Josh," his brain screamed at him. The pain was overwhelming. His chest burned as if it were on fire and his shirt was soaking from the blood gushing from the wound in his torso.  
  
Ellie. The image of her beautiful face popped into his mind. There were so many things they hadn't done, so many things they hadn't said. He knew she loved him, he believed that more than he believed anything else. He had to tell her that he loved her – he needed desperately to actually say the words.  
  
Toby was at his side now, screaming at the top of his lungs for a paramedic. God, it hurts, he thought. Men were treating him now. Josh faded in and out of consciousness, faces of the paramedics and his friends flashing in front of him. The noise was unbearable – the sirens, the screaming. He just wanted it all to stop.  
  
"Hold on," he heard Toby say, "we're taking you to the hospital."  
  
"Ellie," he heard himself say the words in his head, but he couldn't be sure that Toby had heard him.  
  
"She'll be there Josh, I promise," Toby said as the paramedics lifted him onto the stretcher.

* * *

"Dr. McGarry!"  
  
Ellie's eyes fluttered open and she saw one of her Secret Service agents standing over her. "Get up, right now," he demanded, ripping the covers off her.  
  
"You better be real glad I'm wearing scrubs, Thompson," she said irritably, standing and stretching. "Why am I up?"  
  
He threw her lab coat at her. "Let's go, right now," he said, holding the door the doctor's sleeping quarters open.  
  
"Ben?" she asked curiously, following the agent out the door while pulling her loose hair into a ponytail with her fingers. The hospital was a flurry of activity, doctors, nurses and men she immediately recognized as Secret Service running around. Ellie's heart dropped into her stomach and she took off at a dead run toward the Emergency Room, with Ben in hot pursuit.  
  
She ran right into the paramedics wheeling Josh through the Emergency Room door on a stretcher. "Josh!" the words escaped her throat in little more than a whisper. "What happened?" she demanded of Toby.  
  
"He was shot, Ellie," the Communications Director spat out, running to keep up with the paramedics break-neck pace.  
  
"I can see that, Toby," she shot back, then stopped in her tracks. "Where's my father?"  
  
"I don't know, he got here a couple of minutes ago," C.J. explained, grabbing Eleanor by the arm to being recounting the evening's events. "We were at Rosslyn..."  
  
"The town hall meeting," Ellie remembered, looking over her shoulder to see where the doctors and paramedics were taking Josh.  
  
C.J. nodded. "There were shooters, we don't know who they were aiming at, but your father..."  
  
"Oh my God," Ellie pressed a hand to her forehead and fought back the wave of nausea threatening to overtake her. She left C.J. were she was standing and began searching rooms for her father. She found him in the second room, with doctors hovering over him and Leo standing just inside the door. She grabbed her father-in-law's arm. "Leo?" she asked weakly.  
  
"The shot went right through, Ellie, the doctors think he's going to be fine," Leo explained, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.  
  
"They THINK?" she exclaimed.  
  
"They're actually pretty sure," he smiled weakly.  
  
"Leo, they just brought Josh in," Ellie said quietly, tears spilling down her cheeks. "It looks really bad."  
  
He pulled away from his daughter-in-law, holding her at arm's length. Ellie could see the emotion coursing through the older man's eyes. "Where is he?" Leo demanded.  
  
"They were headed to room 3. Please go check on him, Leo," she begged quietly.  
  
"Not a word of this to your father, Eleanor," Leo demanded, turning on his heels to find Josh.  
  
Ellie straightened herself up and took a deep breath. She walked up to where Zoey stood, holding their father's hand. "Look at what you've done, Daddy," she teased. "Not getting enough attention the old fashioned way?"  
  
The President laughed weakly and squeezed her arm. "They woke you up, honey, I'm sorry about that. I'm going to be fine, you can go back to sleep now."  
  
"Not on your life," she answered defiantly, then turned to Zoey. "Is Mom on the way?" she asked.  
  
"Oh man, not your Mother," the President groaned. "She's going to come in here and take over."  
  
"As well she should," Ellie shot back.  
  
"She'll be here in a couple of minutes," Zoey answered softly, stroking her father's hand with her thumb.  
  
"Daddy, I'll be right back, okay?" Ellie said loudly.  
  
"The hole's not in my ear, Ellie, I can hear you just fine," he answered sarcastically.  
  
She smiled weakly and took off, leaving her father and sister in search of Josh. She stood in the entryway to Exam Room 3, knocked over by the scene in front of her. The doctors had entubated Josh and were pumping air in and out of his lungs. Bloody dressings were scattered over the floor. She glanced around the room for Leo but didn't find her father-in-law anywhere. She fought her way past the nurses and doctors crowding around Josh and pulled a stool up beside his head. She donned a pair of latex gloves and sat down, stroking his auburn hair with her gloved fingers.  
  
"I'm here, Josh," she whispered, pressing her lips to his cold forehead. "Please don't leave me," she cried softly. She watched as the doctors worked furiously over him, trying desperately to stabilize him.  
  
"Ellie?" the E.R. attending physician and Ellie's boss, Dr. Mike Toland, touched her shoulder gently. She looked up at him with wide, terrified eyes. "We're taking Josh up to surgery now and your father's already there."  
  
"I want to stay with Josh," she answered, hoping he wouldn't disagree.  
  
"He stabilized when you got here," the doctor explained, "There's no way I'm telling you no. You might be his only hope."  
  
TBC.... 


	11. Rosslyn Part Two

Disclaimer – I don't own any of these characters – they are the property of NBC, John Wells and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin.  
  
Rating – PG for now  
  
Pairings – Josh/Ellie, Ellie/OC  
  
Spoilers – None  
  
Summary – Josh Lyman meets Eleanor Bartlet during the campaign and falls in love with the young, married medical student. For the purposes of my story, Ellie is several years older in this story and very different than she is on the show.  
  
I've had this story in my head for years, and have finally forged the courage to begin writing. Here's hoping you enjoy it!! The song by Evanescence, "My Immortal" is the soundtrack for the story.

* * *

Ellie sat in a cold hard chair in the Critical Care unit of the hospital, patiently watching over Josh. She hadn't moved from this spot in hours – ever since they'd brought Josh out of surgery. Her muscles were sore, but she could have cared less. He needed her right now and there was no way she was going to let him down. Her father had her mother, Zoey and Liz. Josh needed only her.  
  
She stretched in the chair and reached over to take Josh's hand again, reminding him once more that she was with him. "I love you, Josh," she whispered, pressing her lips to his hand. "I never meant to, but I do," she explained. "You really shouldn't do that to a girl, you know? All that charm and charisma, I mean, who could resist that combination?"  
  
Ellie rested her chin on the bed next to him. "Do you remember the first time we met?" she asked, knowing full well he couldn't answer her. Even if he was awake, there was still a breathing tube down his throat. "I knew it even then," she continued. "It's like walking into the perfect house or sitting down in the perfect car for the first time. You just know.  
  
"I'd always heard that," she continued to ramble, "when you know you know, but I never believed it. Not until I met you. What am I supposed to do, Josh? I'm married, and until I met you, I was happy. I couldn't have imagined there was someone in the world I'd love more than David, want more than David. This whole thing, Josh, it just completely caught me off guard..."  
  
She glanced up at his face. His eyes were open and a single tear ran down his cheek. She let her own tears fall then, rising from the chair quickly and pressing kisses over his forehead, laughing happily. "You're awake," she said gently. "I was so worried about you."  
  
Josh reached for the tube in his throat and Ellie caught his hand. "They had to put in a breathing tube," she explained. "Don't try to talk, okay?"  
  
He nodded weakly and squeezed her hand. "Are you in a lot of pain?" she asked.  
  
He nodded again and Ellie reached over him, squeezing the call button. The nurse arrived almost instantaneously. "Dr. McGarry?" she asked.  
  
"He's in pain, and I want to see if maybe the tube can be taken out now that he's awake," she explained.  
  
"Yes ma'am, I'll get him some meds and check on the other for you," the genial nurse said.  
  
"Thanks, Mary," Ellie said softly. She stroked his hair with her fingertips and glanced up as the surgeon, Dr. Kallin, stepped into the room. "Well, well, well," he said pleasantly, "Look who's awake."  
  
Dr. Kallin checked the dressing on Josh's wound; then checked the blood pressure monitor and the heart monitor. "You ready to get the tube out?" he asked.  
  
Josh nodded again and Kallin glanced over at Ellie. "You sure you're ready to have him talking again? Didn't you comment a minute ago and it was nice and quiet?" he teased.  
  
"Stop trying to get me in trouble, Stan," Ellie warned.  
  
"Jeez, try to have a little fun," he answered with a grin. "Ellie, will you assist?"  
  
"Sure," she answered. Dr. Kallin indicated to Ellie how and where he needed assistance and before Josh knew it, the tube was out and he was breathing on his own again.  
  
His throat was unbelievably sore and his voice was raspy when he tried to speak. "The Pres..." he croaked.  
  
"He's fine, sweetie," she explained. "The bullet missed all the major organs. He'll have a scar, but his won't be near as impressive as yours."  
  
Josh grinned. "You saw me naked?"  
  
She slapped his shoulder lightly. "Not completely," she corrected him. "He's already been in to see you."  
  
"Who?" Josh asked, grasping his throat as he tried to talk again. Ellie handed him a glass of water, which he accepted gratefully.  
  
"My father," she said gently, sitting back down in the chair and taking his hand again. Mary came in with the pain medicine and pushed it into Josh's IV.  
  
Ellie watched his eyes growing heavy as the drug took effect. He blinked slowly and turned his head to face her. "Hey, Ellie," he whispered just before he drifted off to sleep, "I love you, too."  
  
TBC..... 


	12. Homecoming

Disclaimer – I don't own any of these characters – they are the property of NBC, John Wells and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin.  
  
Rating – PG for now  
  
Pairings – Josh/Ellie, Ellie/OC  
  
Spoilers – None  
  
Summary – Josh Lyman meets Eleanor Bartlet during the campaign and falls in love with the young, married medical student. For the purposes of my story, Ellie is several years older in this story and very different than she is on the show.  
  
I've had this story in my head for years, and have finally forged the courage to begin writing. Here's hoping you enjoy it!! The song by Evanescence, "My Immortal" is the soundtrack for the story.

* * *

Josh fumbled with his key, inserting it into the lock for the fifth time. "Damn it," he growled.  
  
"Take your time, Josh," Donna whined behind him, burdened with his bags and hospital gifts. "It's not like all this crap is heavy or anything."  
  
"Bite me," he shot back, finally getting the lock to turn. He pushed the door to his condo open and was greeted with a loud "Surprise!"  
  
Josh stared wide-eyed at the crowd gathered in his condo. It seemed everyone was there – Toby, Sam, Leo, C.J., half the assistants and his congressman friends. His eyes scanned the room, desperately looking for the one person he actually wanted to see right then – Ellie. She was standing against the doorframe of the kitchen, smiling brightly and blowing into a noisemaker. Beside her stood David. Josh sighed and fought back the curse threatening to escape his lips. He hugged each member of the assembled group, gratefully accepting their congratulations and words of wisdom for his recovery. He reached out for Sam, who immediately enveloped his best friend in his arms. "David's here?" Josh whispered.  
  
"Long story, she's not happy about it either," Sam explained, patting him on the back.  
  
"Yeah," Josh said, pulling away to hug Leo's assistant, Margaret.

* * *

Josh saw Eleanor heading toward the bathroom in his bedroom and decided to follow. He shut the door behind him and waited until she emerged. She smiled and sat down beside him on the bed.  
  
"Welcome Home," she said, patting his knee.  
  
"Thanks," he answered with a grin, "I had the most amazing doctor who took such good care of me."  
  
Ellie smiled shyly and turned her face away from him. "Dr. Killan is the best."  
  
He cupped her chin with his hand and turned her face to his. "I wasn't talking about Dr. Killan."  
  
"Dr. Toland, then?" she teased, swallowing hard as his face closed in on hers.  
  
"Ellie," he whispered, bringing his lips over hers. "Shut up." The kiss was gentle, but passionate, saying everything they couldn't say for themselves. Ellie wound her arms around Josh's neck as he pressed her down onto the pillows on his bed.  
  
"Josh?" she whispered as his lips trailed down the side of her neck. "We have to stop."  
  
"Don't wanna," he argued, tracing his fingers down her side.  
  
"I don't either, but we have to," she replied, gently pushing him off her, careful of his bandages. "First of all, you're in no shape to be doing anything remotely like this, and second...."  
  
Josh closed his eyes and sighed. "David's here."  
  
Ellie nodded. "I've got a lot to figure out, Josh."  
  
Josh took her hand in his and pressed a gentle kiss on it. "Ellie, do you love me?"  
  
"You know I do, Josh," she answered honestly.  
  
"Say it," he gently demanded, then added softly, "Please."  
  
Ellie smiled gently and touched his face with her free hand. "I love you, Joshua Lyman."  
  
"I love you too, Eleanor," he responded with a grin. "You have no idea how much."  
  
"We should get back out there," she said, standing, her mind already wandering back to the party outside.  
  
"Together or separately?" he wondered aloud.  
  
"Together," she said, offering him her hand to help him stand. They made their way out through the throng of people assembled in Josh's tiny condo. Ellie made her way over to her husband, who was sitting on the couch, discussing the baseball game on the television with Toby and Sam.  
  
He handed her a drink when she sat down. "What did Josh want?" David asked, his eyes burning a hole through her.  
  
"What?" Ellie asked curiously, surprised that David had even noticed they came out of the bedroom together.  
  
"Ellie, don't," David said irritably. "I saw him follow you into the bedroom. Christ, how stupid do you think I am?"  
  
Ellie took a deep breath and sighed, fixing an equally steely gaze on her husband. "For your information, with all the hugging going on, Josh felt like he might have popped one of the stitches in his chest and seeing that I'm currently the only doctor in the room, he wanted me to check it out for him."  
  
David stood from the couch and shook his head. "Maybe you should have been a politician. You've got the lying down to an art form."  
  
Ellie took the hand he offered her to stand. "I think I'm ready to go home, David," she said angrily.  
  
"Well, I was going with or without you," he shot back, quickly turning his back on her and heading for the door.  
  
Ellie closed her eyes and fought back the tears threatening to fall. "I'm going to say goodbye to Josh," she said quietly.  
  
"You do that," David answered, tossing her coat to her; then storming out.  
  
Ellie swallowed hard and slid into the light jacket, slowly making her way over to where Josh stood talking to Leo. "Boys, I'm going to call it a night," she said, the tears in her eyes betraying the fake smile she'd plastered on her face.  
  
"Ellie?" Josh questioned, taking her arm. She gently pulled away, leaning over to kiss her father-in-law on the cheek.  
  
"Eleanor?" Leo asked.  
  
"Leo, please, not now," she begged, "I have to go."  
  
"I'll walk you out," Josh said, handing his drink to Leo and taking her arm again.  
  
"Josh, that's not...." Ellie stopped and placed her hand on his. "Enjoy your party, I'll call you later."  
  
"You better," he demanded, enveloping her in a quick hug. "I love you," he whispered, barely loud enough for her to hear.  
  
She was facing Leo when Josh hugged her and couldn't answer without her father-in-law seeing, but she squeezed him and kissed his cheek, finally stepping away from him to go out the front door.  
  
Josh watched her leave, his gaze fixed intently on her back, willing her to turn and look at him again. She didn't. He glanced out the window, watching as she slid into her car and praying everything was okay as David sped off into the night with the woman they both loved.  
  
TBC.... 


	13. Confrontations

Disclaimer – I don't own any of these characters – they are the property of NBC, John Wells and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin.  
  
Rating – PG for now  
  
Pairings – Josh/Ellie, Ellie/OC  
  
Spoilers – None  
  
Summary – Josh Lyman meets Eleanor Bartlet during the campaign and falls in love with the young, married medical student. For the purposes of my story, Ellie is several years older in this story and very different than she is on the show.  
  
I've had this story in my head for years, and have finally forged the courage to begin writing. Here's hoping you enjoy it!! The song by Evanescence, "My Immortal" is the soundtrack for the story.

* * *

Josh stormed into his office, his third day back on the job and he was literally up to his eyeballs in meetings, paperwork and files. Donna had been hounding him all day to sit at his desk and go through the mountain of stuff. He tossed a file onto the stack, watching amusedly as it began to sway slightly under the new weight. He heard a cough and looked up.  
  
"What the hell do you want?" he asked a seated David McGarry. The Commander was wearing his Class A uniform, balancing his white cap on his knee.  
  
"So many things, Josh," David answered. "So very many things."  
  
Josh remained standing, glaring at the unwelcome intrusion planted in one of his leather guest chairs. "Let me ask again, David, what can I do for you?"  
  
David laughed bitterly. "There was a time when I had the perfect marriage. Of course, that was before my wife met you." He stood and began slowly pacing across Josh's office. "There was a time when I believed my wife loved only me, a time when I didn't worry about where she was spending her evenings or with who."  
  
Josh sifted through the pile on his desk, pretending to be disinterested in David's rant. "What changed?" he asked dully.  
  
"Stay away from my wife, Josh."  
  
Josh looked up at the Commander. "When Ellie tells me to stay away, I will. I don't take orders from you," he shot back.  
  
"I'm her husband," David answered, fury dripping off each word.  
  
"Oh is THAT what that ring on her finger means?" Josh asked sarcastically.  
  
"You think this is funny?" David demanded, leaning on Josh's desk with closed fists.  
  
"David, Ellie and I are friends. You could even say she's my best friend," he lied, hoping that David might actually believe it.  
  
"You're in love with her," David pressed on.  
  
"I love her, yes," Josh answered, shrugging his shoulders. "I love her like I love Donna."  
  
Donna arrived in the doorway right then and dramatically pressed her hand over her heart, hoping to relieve some of the tension she felt in the room. "You love me?" she asked sweetly.  
  
Josh looked over at David and laughed, grateful for his assistant's interruption. "Look at what you made me do. I admitted that I love my assistant. I'll never get another decent day's work out of her."  
  
David clearly wasn't amused. He straightened up and smoothed his dress uniform; then placed his hat under his arm. "I think we understand one another," he said dryly.  
  
"Completely," Josh answered, eyeing David with a steely gaze. David turned to Donna and tipped his head. "Miss Moss, always a pleasure."  
  
"Commander," she smiled back at him as he passed her. She stepped into Josh's office and shut the door. "Oh my God," she said, collapsing into the chair David had recently occupied.  
  
"Do we let just anybody into my office these days?" Josh demanded, falling into his desk chair.  
  
"He must have slipped in when I went to the bathroom. God knows I never would have let him in here," she explained. "What did he want?"  
  
"Ah, you know, the usual threatening that goes on when one guy's in love with another guy's wife," he shrugged.  
  
"You're awfully glib about this," Donna admired.  
  
"Glib?" Josh asked, his expression one of complete amusement.  
  
"What? It's a perfectly acceptable word to use in this situation," Donna defended herself.  
  
"But why did you use it?" he continued, cocking his head to one side and waiting expectantly for her answer.  
  
"I'm expanding my horizons, Josh," she answered, standing and handing him the file she'd been holding in her hands. "Learning something new everyday."  
  
Josh checked his watch, realizing he had another meeting in five minutes. He grabbed a notepad and followed Donna out the door. "Yeah, but 'glib'?" he continued his harassment.  
  
"Shut up," she demanded, sitting down at her desk and glaring at him. "I don't make fun of you."  
  
"That's because I'm perfect," he shrugged, looking over at shoulder at his calendar for the rest of the day. "Can you clear me some time this afternoon? I want to go talk to Ellie."  
  
"Sure," Donna answered, immediately picking up the phone. "The thing with Congressman Gibbs can wait a couple of days. That should buy you a couple of hours."  
  
"Thanks," he answered, starting down the hall for his meeting.

* * *

Josh stood patiently at the reception desk for the emergency room at Walter Reed, waiting for the nurse to page Eleanor.  
  
Ellie sauntered out into the lobby in her blue scrubs and white lab coat. A smile immediately broke out on Josh's face. She saw him and grinned. "What are you doing here?" she asked, planting her hands on her hips and sashaying over to him.  
  
He kissed her cheek gently. "Would you believe that I missed you?"  
  
"Nice try, Lyman," she laughed. "What really brings you here?"  
  
"Is there somewhere we can talk?"  
  
Ellie eyed him suspiciously. "Yeah, out here," she motioned to one of the door leading to the ambulance bay. He followed her outside and rested against the brick wall. "What's up?" she asked again.  
  
"Ellie," he started, hunting for the right words in his head. Finally, he just spat out, "He knows."  
  
"Who knows what?" she frowned, clearly not understanding.  
  
"David knows," he clarified, "about us."  
  
"What are you talking about?" she demanded.  
  
"He was at my office today, Ellie. He threatened me. Told me to stay away from you," Josh explained.  
  
"He THREATENED you?" Ellie asked incredulously.  
  
Josh nodded and sighed. "What did you say?" she demanded.  
  
"I told him we were just friends," he shrugged.  
  
"Did he believe you?" she asked.  
  
"I don't know," Josh sighed. "Guess you'll find out when you get home tonight."  
  
"Funny," she answered, crossing her arms over her chest.  
  
"Ellie, he seemed pretty pissed..." Josh fought the images swirling in his brain. He hoped to God that David would never hurt Ellie, but he just couldn't be sure. "If anything happens..."  
  
"Josh, I'm a big girl, I can handle myself."  
  
"I'm not worried about you, I'm worried about him, what he might try to do to you," he explained.  
  
"Okay," she said quietly, closing the space between them, resting her head on his chest while he wrapped his arms around her. "I need to get back to work."  
  
"Okay, just a minute," he answered, savoring every second that she was in his arms. He rested his head on top of hers, sighing deeply as he tightened his arms around her. His cell phone rang in his pocket and he groaned loudly. "That would be Donna telling me time's up."  
  
Ellie laughed and stepped out of his embrace. "Then you better go. You've got a country to run and I have sick patients."  
  
"Yeah," he said distractedly, pulling the cell phone out of his pocket and checking the caller ID. He flipped it open and told Donna, "I'm on my way back now." He snapped the phone shut and turned his attention back to Eleanor. "I gotta go," he said sadly, eyeing the beauty before him. "I love you."  
  
"I love you, too," she responded, her voice soft with emotion. Josh wanted nothing more at the moment than to kiss her, but he knew it would have to wait. Her declaration of love would have to be enough for now. "Go!" she demanded, pushing him toward his waiting car.  
  
He walked backward; stumbling into his bumper as he drank in every second he could see her. "Bye," he mouthed, opening the door to the car and starting to climb inside. Ellie waved; then pointed authoritatively toward the street. He got the message, firing up the ignition and putting the car into gear. Being together would just have to wait.  
  
TBC.... 


	14. Secret Missions

Disclaimer – I don't own any of these characters – they are the property of NBC, John Wells and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin.  
  
Rating – PG for now  
  
Pairings – Josh/Ellie, Ellie/OC  
  
Spoilers – None  
  
Summary – Josh Lyman meets Eleanor Bartlet during the campaign and falls in love with the young, married medical student. For the purposes of my story, Ellie is several years older in this story and very different than she is on the show.  
  
I've had this story in my head for years, and have finally forged the courage to begin writing. Here's hoping you enjoy it!! The song by Evanescence, "My Immortal" is the soundtrack for the story.

* * *

Ellie arrived home that evening to a cold, empty house. She found his note on the dining room table, sighing as she flipped it open. It read:  
  
"Ellie, called back for a mission. Can't give details, you know the routine. When I get back, we have some serious talking to do. Stay away from Lyman while I'm gone. All my love, David."  
  
She shivered against the crisp spring evening, crossing through the house to turn the heater on. She sat down on the window seat in the hallway, gazing out over the Washington skyline. Her cell phone rang in her pocket, and she smiled instinctively, knowing without a doubt who the caller was. She checked her watch and flipped the phone open, settling back onto the cushions. "Couldn't live without me for four hours, huh?" she asked.  
  
"It's getting harder every day," Josh whined on the other end. "Whatcha doin?"  
  
"Sitting on the window seat in an empty, cold house," she answered.  
  
"You're alone?" he asked curiously, suddenly uninterested in the stack of papers on his desk.  
  
"Completely and totally, and for God only knows how long," she explained. "David's been called out again."  
  
"Well, I guess we dodged the bullet for now."  
  
"Yeah," she sighed.  
  
"Can I see you?" he asked expectantly.  
  
"I don't know, can you see me all the way from the White House?" she teased.  
  
"Smartass."  
  
"You love it."  
  
"I do. Let me rephrase the question, may I see you?"  
  
"Do you think that would be a good idea?" she asked honestly. "I'm not sure we can be trusted alone right now."  
  
"You're probably right," he admitted with a sigh. "I'd hate to have to rip your clothes off."  
  
"Yeah, I bet," she countered. "Besides, I checked with your doctor, and you haven't been cleared for strenuous activity yet."  
  
"It doesn't have to be strenuous," he hinted.  
  
She rolled her eyes and stifled a laugh. "Joshua?"  
  
"Yeah, babe?"  
  
"Get back to work," she ordered.  
  
"Okay, I love you."  
  
She closed her eyes and savored his words, how easily they flowed. "I love you, too," she whispered.

* * *

"Bogart to Base," David's voice rang out over the intercom in the White House Situation Room. "I have target on radar."  
  
Leo instinctively held his breath. He'd already decided he would never get used to the sound of his son's voice coming through the loudspeaker.  
  
"Roger, Bogart," Base responded.  
  
Bogart – Leo wanted to laugh every time he heard his son's call sign. David's drill instructor hadn't been impressed with his incredible looks and suave disposition, and bestowed upon the young lieutenant the title "Humphrey Bogart." It was supposed to be an insult, but David loved it. It had been his call sign ever since. Leo glanced over at the President, whose head was rested in his hands, his eyes closed. Leo knew that Jed was praying for his son, for his safety.  
  
"Bogart, be aware we are seeing some anti-aircraft movement on the ground," David's eyes on the ground, approximately 5 miles away from the selected target, advised.  
  
"Alpha Bravo," the mission commander's voice sounded, "prepare to take out anti-aircraft missiles if need be."  
  
"Roger that."  
  
"Shit!" David bellowed. "Bastards fired. That was close."  
  
Leo glared at the Secretary of Defense, Nancy McNally. She glared back, unfazed with Leo's fatherly worry.  
  
"Son of a Bitch!" David screamed. "Somebody take that bastard out or I'm going to..."  
  
A high pitch whine erupted over the loudspeaker. Leo immediately looked over at Nancy, who was already on her feet, barking orders to anyone who would listen. Leo stared at the intercom, swaying unsteadily on his feet. No one needed to tell him what had just happened....  
  
TBC.... 


	15. Frozen

Disclaimer – I don't own any of these characters – they are the property of NBC, John Wells and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin.  
  
Rating – PG for now  
  
Pairings – Josh/Ellie, Ellie/OC  
  
Spoilers – None  
  
Summary – Josh Lyman meets Eleanor Bartlet during the campaign and falls in love with the young, married medical student. For the purposes of my story, Ellie is several years older in this story and very different than she is on the show.  
  
I've had this story in my head for years, and have finally forged the courage to begin writing. Here's hoping you enjoy it!! The song by Evanescence, "My Immortal" is the soundtrack for the story.

* * *

Leo stood in the White House Situation Room leaned against the table, frozen in place. He couldn't hear or see anything around him – he could only feel. Unbelievably, heart-wrenching, overwhelming pain. His son was dead. Jed was at his side, supporting Leo's weight with his arm, unable to say anything to his best friend.  
  
"Leo," the President whispered, "I think it's time to get out of here."  
  
"Yeah," Leo muttered, leaning against the President for support. They walked together to the doorframe and suddenly, Leo froze. He looked up at the President with wide, terrified eyes. "Ellie."  
  
The President nodded. "We'll tell her together."  
  
"Okay," Leo muttered, beginning the longest walk of his life. He was on his way to tell his wife and daughter-in-law that David was gone.

* * *

"Coming!" Ellie answered the persistent knocker at the front door. She was silently hoping it was Josh. She was also silently dreading it was Josh. What would she do if she found him on the other side of the door?  
  
She flung it open to find Leo and her father standing on the other side – their expressions stone-faced and pained. Her eyes darted between the two men she adored, desperately trying to read their faces. "Daddy?" she questioned.  
  
"Eleanor," he began slowly, "May we come inside?"  
  
"Sure," Ellie muttered, stepping away from the door to allow them to enter. She didn't miss how her father was literally holding all of Leo's weight on his own arm, or how her father-in-law seemed to walk as if his body were made out of concrete. The President motioned to his Secret Service man, who nodded and closed the door, taking up position in Ellie's hallway.  
  
She followed the men over to the couch and sat down in David's recliner. "I'm going to ask this one time, and I want the truth," she said. "What's happened?"  
  
Jed Bartlet nodded. "What I am about to tell you, Eleanor, you would never have found out if your father wasn't the President. At nine o'clock this evening, our time, David launched his F-18 from the aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman. His mission was to take a out what we believed was a chemical weapons facility on the border of Iraq and Afghanistan."  
  
Jed watched his daughter's reaction as began recounting the story. Ellie already knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that her husband was dead – her father wouldn't be here detailing a classified mission if he weren't.  
  
"The Iraqi soldiers at the facility launched a series of anti-aircraft missiles at David."  
  
"His body?" she interrupted, not wanting to hear any additional details of her husband's death.  
  
"His body was recovered. He's being flown back to the U.S.," he explained.  
  
"When?" she asked quietly.  
  
Jed hung his head and glanced at his best friend. Leo had given up the fight to suppress his tears for Eleanor's sake and sat sobbing quietly on the couch.  
  
"Edwards at eight a.m."  
  
"Do I..." Ellie chocked on the words. "Should I..."  
  
"You only need to be there if you want to, Ellie. In less than an hour, this is going to be the leading story on every news channel from coast to coast," he shook his head. "I'd personally prefer for you and Leo and the family to be in seclusion, where we can control things."  
  
Ellie nodded and finally began to sob as the realization hit her. David was dead. Her husband – the man she'd loved every day of her life for thirty years was gone. She stood from the recliner and crossed over to the couch, sitting down between Leo and her father. Leo immediately wrapped his arm around his daughter-in-law, trying his best to comfort her while lost in his own grief and pain. Jed leaned against his daughter, stroking her hair while they all cried.

* * *

Josh sank down to the floor against the wall in C.J.'s office. "When is David," he caught his breath and started again. "When is the body..."  
  
"Edwards," C.J. answered, "eight a.m."  
  
"How's..." he was completely at a loss for words. Less than twenty-four hours ago, David McGarry was standing in his office, threatening him to stay away from Ellie. Now, he was dead.  
  
"I haven't talked to the President again since he told me they were going to tell her," she answered.  
  
"What about Leo?"  
  
C.J. swallowed hard. "He's crushed beyond anything any of us can imagine."  
  
"How do we deal with this?" Sam asked curiously from the doorway. "I don't want to be the one to talk politics right now, but..."  
  
"Someone has to," Toby interjected.  
  
"I'm still working on that," C.J. explained. "We'll tell the truth, at least what truth we can tell. David's mission was classified, and Defense is working on a story for us."  
  
"Where's the family going to be?" Toby asked.  
  
"As soon as Jenny and Mallory are told, Leo will collect his family and bring them to the White House, along with Ellie, Zoey and Liz," she answered.  
  
"Seclusion?" Josh questioned.  
  
"As much as possible," she nodded. "The President is going to be the face of the family."  
  
"I'll get working on...." Toby began; then stopped. "Something. I'll get working on something."  
  
"I'll help," Sam answered, following Toby out the door.  
  
C.J. glanced at Josh, who was still crumpled on the floor. "Joshua?"  
  
He just sat there, staring straight ahead. C.J. wasn't sure he'd even heard her. "Josh!" she said more forcefully this time.  
  
His head snapped over to where she stood and he looked at her with a blank expression. "Yeah?"  
  
She sank onto the floor beside him. "You can't see her, Josh."  
  
"But, C.J., I have to," he argued.  
  
"No, you don't," she answered forcefully, then softened from his horrified expression, "At least not yet. Josh, I'm going to get questions."  
  
"I love her with all my heart, C.J., and I've kissed her twice," he answered honestly. "But that's it."  
  
"Okay," she answered quietly.  
  
"I just can't believe," he said. "He was just here yesterday morning."  
  
"I know, it's crazy. I can't tell you how many phone calls the President has made to families who have lost their loved ones in military action. He and Leo always knew there was a risk, but..."  
  
"C.J.?" he asked softly.  
  
"Yeah, Josh?"  
  
"When you see her, will you tell her that I love her?"  
  
C.J. closed her eyes and sighed. "I'll do my best."  
  
"Thanks," he said gratefully. He stood from the floor and offered her his hand. "I've got to wake everyone and get them into the office."  
  
"Yeah," she responded, crossing over to her desk. She glanced up at Josh as he hung in the doorway.  
  
"When I say you can't see her, Josh, that means no phone calls, either," she said.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Josh?" she eyed him seriously. "I mean it."  
  
"Okay," he said again.  
  
She watched him walk out of her office, wishing she could chase after him and take away every form of communication he had available to him. He was a man on a mission and she knew it. She just hoped his mission wouldn't crush the entire administration.  
  
TBC... 


	16. Mansions of the Lord Part One

Disclaimer – I don't own any of these characters – they are the property of NBC, John Wells and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin.  
  
Rating – PG for now  
  
Pairings – Josh/Ellie, Ellie/OC  
  
Spoilers – None  
  
Summary – Josh Lyman meets Eleanor Bartlet during the campaign and falls in love with the young, married medical student. For the purposes of my story, Ellie is several years older in this story and very different than she is on the show.  
  
I've had this story in my head for years, and have finally forged the courage to begin writing. Here's hoping you enjoy it!! The song by Evanescence, "My Immortal" is the soundtrack for the story.  
  
The titles of the next two chapters are a reference to the US Military song "Mansions of the Lord" which is featured on the "We Were Soldiers" soundtrack.

* * *

Ellie woke to the feel of fingers gently stroking her hair. Her eyes fluttered open and she turned her head, finding her mother sitting on the bed beside her. "It's raining," Abbey muttered absent-mindedly. "I was hoping it wouldn't rain today."  
  
Ellie blinked back tears fighting for release. "I think it's rained at every funeral I've been to," she said quietly, sinking deep into the mattress and pulling the covers tight, praying that if she just wished hard enough, the pain would go away and David would be beside her again.  
  
"David deserves better than rain," Abbey said, sighing deeply and closing her eyes.  
  
"Yes, he does," Ellie agreed, struggling out of the bed and standing. "I'm going to take a shower, Mom," she stated plainly.  
  
"I'm so proud of you, Eleanor," Abbey began to cry softly.  
  
"For what?" Ellie asked irritably, bending over to lift her robe off the chair beside the bed. "For going through the motions, for pretending that I'm coping with this?"  
  
"For being so strong," Abbey answered.  
  
Ellie chuckled bitterly. "This isn't strength, Mom. This is total, overwhelming fear that if I stop moving for one second, I'll die from the pain."  
  
Ellie stepped into the bathroom and shut the door behind her, leaning against it as hot tears finally escaped her green eyes. She refused to sob, though, knowing her mother was still in her bedroom, waiting for her to emerge. She wiped the tears away and started the shower, stepping under the hot water and letting it muffle her sobs.  
  
David was gone. She would never see him again. The contours of his face would become less defined with the passing days. She was terrified that one day; she'd wake up and not be able to remember the sound of his voice or the way his chocolate eyes would dance when he was happy.  
  
She closed her eyes and remembered him. The tears that had been in his eyes as she walked down the aisle to him. The way those same eyes would drink her in when they made love. She remembered the feel of his hands as they explored her skin, caressing and teasing her. The feel of his hand on the small of her back, as he'd lead her in and out of rooms. That smile – the one he'd reserved just for her so many years before.  
  
There was the pain; she'd been honest about that. But there was also the guilt. While her husband's plane was being blown out of the sky, she'd been on the phone with her boyfriend. The last conversation she'd had with David had been an argument - about Josh and their relationship. She'd lied to him – God, how she'd lied. Maybe he was right – maybe she should have been a politician. She stormed out that morning for work – not saying goodbye and not saying that she loved him.  
  
She turned the water off and stepped out of the shower. She cracked the bathroom door open, allowing some of the accumulated steam to escape. She took out her hairdryer and set to work on her hair. David liked her hair down, and she was going to wear it that way, for him. She dried her honey- brown locks until they were damp, then took out her round brush and began straightening her wavy hair.  
  
Satisfied with the result, she applied a little makeup, knowing that most of it would be cried off once the service was begun. She stepped into the bedroom and was surprised to find that her mother no longer occupied the bed. She threw open the closet door and took out the black dress she had brought – a simple sleeveless sheath she would pair with her string of pearls and earrings.  
  
She glanced at herself in the mirror, surprised by how old she suddenly looked. At thirty-one, Ellie was still a young woman, but today, she felt as if she were 90 years old. She looked down at her hands – admiring the antique engagement ring David had given her nearly ten years before. Below it was the wedding ring he'd given her many years later. On her middle finger, she wore David's wedding ring, found in his personal effects and quickly shipped back to the States. She'd thought of burying it with him, but she couldn't seem to let that part of him go.  
  
She loved him more now in his death than she had in his life. Ellie closed her eyes at the thought, fighting back the tears begging for release once again. She'd loved him so much, and for so many years, she couldn't put her finger on what had gone wrong. Her mind drifted quickly to Josh, to the relationship that began on the campaign trail, how simple friendship had suddenly erupted into love. It was never that she didn't love David, only that she loved Josh as well. Maybe more, and the thought terrified her.

* * *

The Senior Staff, with the exception of Leo, gathered outside the West Wing, having decided the previous day to travel to the funeral together. Josh stood off to the side, leaning against Charlie's desk. He closed his eyes and sighed, then wandered into the West Wing. Crossing to the President's desk, he lifted one of the frames and turned the picture to him. It was Ellie's favorite picture of her and David – taken atop the Eiffel Tower on their honeymoon in France. Her hair was blowing in the wind, but she was laughing, a loving gaze affixed upon her husband, whose hand was lifted, titling her chin up to his face.  
  
A harsh wave of guilt swept over him and he sat the picture back on the desk. He felt no particular great loss in David McGarry's death, other than that it had devastated the woman he loved. Eleanor. God, she must be dying inside, Josh mused, making his way out of the office. He still hadn't seen her and it was killing him. C.J. stood beside the door, tapping her foot nervously and chewing on one of her fingernails. Sam sat in one of the chairs, his jacket lazily draped across his knee. Toby sat on the edge of the desk, watching press coverage of the funeral.  
  
That's when he saw her. His beautiful, beloved Eleanor, now broken and pained, was climbing into the limousine behind Leo and Jenny McGarry. "She looks awful," C.J. muttered, almost inaudibly and Josh sucked in his breath.  
  
"I'd look awful too if I'd just lost my spouse," Toby said irritably, switching the set off. He stood and tossed the remote back on Charlie's desk. "Time to go," he said, waving his hand in front of them.

* * *

Josh sat in one of the pews in the National Cathedral, his eyes boring holes into the back of Eleanor's head. She stared straight ahead throughout the service, reaching out blindly at one point to take Mallory's hand.  
  
He repeated over and over again, "I love you, I love you," in his head, hoping that somehow, his love would reach her and somehow soothe her. She was trying so hard to be strong. He'd seen it before – the rigid stance, the refusal to cry in public – when she'd lost the baby and was determined to tell the world herself. It only made him love her more.  
  
The choir from the U.S. Military Academy stood and began singing:  
  
To fallen soldiers let us sing  
Where no rockets fly nor bullets wing  
Our broken brothers let us bring  
To the Mansions of the Lord  
  
No more bleeding, no more fight  
No prayers pleading through the night  
Just divine embrace, eternal light  
In the Mansions of the Lord  
  
Where no mothers cry and no children weep  
We will stand and guard though the angels sleep  
While through the ages safely keep  
The Mansions of the Lord  
  
Chills ripped through his body as he watched the pallbearers take their places on either side of David's casket. In one fluid motion, his comrades lifted the coffin onto their shoulders and began the slow procession out of the Cathedral. Eleanor stood, taking her place in line behind Leo and Jenny, never once letting go of Mallory's hand as the younger woman wept uncontrollably.  
  
Her eyes caught his for a brief moment and he longed to reach out, to take her hand and comfort her, but his hands were frozen at his side. She passed and C.J. laid a hand on his shoulder. "Come on," she said quietly, motioning to the side door. He followed her outside and into the waiting Suburban that would carry them to Arlington.  
  
By the time they reached the cemetery, the clouds broke and sunlight poured onto the wet grass. David's best friend, Commander Mike Terry, took Eleanor's arm and led her through the muddy ground, to her seat under the canopy that had been set up earlier.  
  
The pastor began to speak again, but neither Josh nor Ellie heard any of the comforting words he offered. The 21-gun salute began, startling them all, but Josh was fixated on Ellie, watching intently as she nearly jumped out of her chair with the first shots. She gathered her composure instantly, bracing herself for the remaining gunfire.  
  
Two officers snapped the American flag draping David's coffin up and began folding it. One of the officers handed the flag to David's Company Commander, who then knelt before the young widow. "On behalf of a grateful nation..." he began. Josh's heart broke as Ellie began to weep uncontrollably as the realization of the past four days finally sank in. He could almost see the walls around her cracking as tears spilled out of her beautiful green eyes.  
  
Mallory rested her head on her sister-in-law's shoulder, sobbing as a bugler began "Taps." Eleanor rested her own head on Mallory's finally succumbing to the agony she'd kept inside for so many days, so many hours. The pallbearers stepped forward, all officers in David's unit, and placed a rose on top of their fallen friend's mahogany coffin as it began its slow descent into the earth.  
  
TBC.... 


	17. Mansions of the Lord Part Two

Disclaimer – I don't own any of these characters – they are the property of NBC, John Wells and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin.  
  
Rating – PG for now  
  
Pairings – Josh/Ellie, Ellie/OC  
  
Spoilers – None  
  
Summary – Josh Lyman meets Eleanor Bartlet during the campaign and falls in love with the young, married medical student. For the purposes of my story, Ellie is several years older in this story and very different than she is on the show.  
  
I've had this story in my head for years, and have finally forged the courage to begin writing. Here's hoping you enjoy it!! The song by Evanescence, "My Immortal" is the soundtrack for the story.  
  
The title of this chapter and the previous chapter are a reference to the US Military song "Mansions of the Lord" which is featured on the "We Were Soldiers" soundtrack.

* * *

Ellie collapsed on the front porch swing of their Manchester home beside her father, instantly yanking the cigarette out of his hand and bringing it to her own lips.  
  
"Don't ever let your mother see you do that," he said with a warning tone.  
  
She laughed bitterly and took a long drag off the cigarette before handing it back to him. "I think I'm a little too old to be scared of my mother."  
  
The President snickered and rolled his eyes. "I'm a lot older than you and she still terrifies me," he confessed. He placed his arm behind his daughter's head and pushed the swing gently with his foot. "How you doin' kiddo?"  
  
Ellie closed her eyes and leaned against his arm. "I don't know what I'm supposed to feel, Daddy."  
  
"That's normal," he answered.  
  
"How would you know?" she asked irritably.  
  
"Well, I wouldn't, but for the last four days, I've had zillions of experts trying to tell me what you are feeling right now," he stated.  
  
Ellie laughed; then fought back the lump in her throat that her simple reaction to her father's sarcasm had caused.  
  
"It feels wrong to laugh, doesn't it?" he asked tenderly.  
  
Ellie nodded and turned away from him, wiping away the tears streaming down her cheeks.  
  
"David wouldn't want you to stop laughing, Ellie, you know that."  
  
"Daddy?" she said quietly, never feeling more like a little girl than she did at this moment.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
She took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. "I cheated on David," she confessed.  
  
"I know, honey," he said quietly.  
  
Ellie's eyes welled up with tears again. "How did you know?"  
  
"I'm the leader of the free world, Eleanor. I know what's going on in all four corners of the world at any given moment. I think it's a pretty safe bet I generally know what's going on with my daughters."  
  
Josh stepped out onto the porch and leaned against the doorframe. He glanced over at Ellie and his heart fell into his stomach when he saw the tears.  
  
"Josh, sit with us," the President gently commanded. Josh nodded and dutifully sat on the swing beside Ellie. She curled her legs up between her and Josh and rested her head on her father's shoulder. The men swung in silence, each watching her as her eyes grew heavy, succumbing finally to the peaceful sleep that had eluded her for days.  
  
"She's out, Mr. President," Josh observed softly.  
  
"We should take her upstairs," he answered.  
  
Josh smiled weakly. "We, or me?"  
  
"You. I was just being polite when I said we."  
  
"Yes, sir." Josh stood from the swing and lifted Eleanor gently, cradling her slumbering form in his arms. The President held the door open for Josh, who proceeded quickly up the stairs, pushing the door to Ellie's room open with his foot. He laid her gently in the center of the bed, covering her with a well-loved quilt he noticed at the foot of her bed. He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. "I love you, Ellie," he whispered.  
  
"I love you too, David," she muttered, almost inaudibly.  
  
Josh's heart broke into a million pieces and he collapsed in the rocking chair beside her bed, silently watching her while she slept.

* * *

He watched Josh climb the stairs with his middle daughter cradled in his arms. "Ellie," he thought, "how did you let yourself get into this mess?" He'd seen the stolen glances, noticed them right from the beginning. How she and Josh danced around each other, refusing to give in to the mutual attraction that was so obvious to everyone around them. They all knew – Abbey, Leo, C.J., Toby, even David had known.  
  
David. He closed his eyes and said a quick prayer for his son-in-law, that wherever he was, he was at peace. What would become of them, he wondered, when the press stopped being polite and respectful of David's death, and started asking tough questions?  
  
TBC..... 


	18. Facing the Firing Squad

Disclaimer – I don't own any of these characters – they are the property of NBC, John Wells and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin.  
  
Rating – PG for now  
  
Pairings – Josh/Ellie, Ellie/OC  
  
Spoilers – None  
  
Summary – Josh Lyman meets Eleanor Bartlet during the campaign and falls in love with the young, married medical student. For the purposes of my story, Ellie is several years older in this story and very different than she is on the show.  
  
I've had this story in my head for years, and have finally forged the courage to begin writing. Here's hoping you enjoy it!! The song by Evanescence, "My Immortal" is the soundtrack for the story.

* * *

"C.J.!!"  
  
"C.J.!"  
  
"Yes, Jack," the Press Secretary responded, pointing at the young reporter from the NY Times.  
  
"C.J., the Times had received an anonymous tip last night regarding a secret relationship between Eleanor McGarry and Josh Lyman that began sometime before David McGarry's death last month."  
  
"Is there a question in there somewhere, Jack?" C.J. scolded, hoping to deflect the young, green reporter.  
  
"Is it true?"  
  
"Is what true?" she shot back.  
  
"Are Eleanor McGarry and Josh Lyman having a relationship, C.J.?" Jack Martin asked.  
  
"No, they are not," she answered truthfully. Josh and Eleanor hadn't spent any time alone in the past month. As a matter of fact, the young widow was actually refusing to see Josh or to take his telephone calls.  
  
"C.J.!"  
  
"C.J.!"  
  
"C.J.!"  
  
"Christopher." C.J. called on a reporter from the Wall Street Journal, someone she sincerely hoped wouldn't be interested in Josh and Ellie's love lives.  
  
"C.J., I'm sorry, but I've got to follow up on Jack's question. Have Josh Lyman and Eleanor Bartlet ever had a relationship?"  
  
C.J. swallowed a groan and took a deep breath. "It is not White House policy to comment on the personal lives of its staff. However, I will tell you that Josh and Eleanor have been friends for several years."  
  
"Just friends?" Christopher asked.  
  
"Did I stutter, Chris?" C.J. shot back. "That's all, folks, we'll have another briefing at two o'clock.  
  
C.J. stormed off the stage, flinging the door to her office open. Josh was already seated in one of her guest chairs. "I guess grieving time is over, huh?" he asked as she tossed her notes onto the table.  
  
"Yah think?" she answered sarcastically, flopping into her chair. "I told you this was going to happen, didn't I?"  
  
"C.J."  
  
"Say the words, Joshua. I want to hear you say 'C.J., you were right'."  
  
Josh closed his eyes and sank into his chair. "I really don't feel like it right now," he said glumly.  
  
C.J. propped her feet up on her desk and stared at him. "You don't feel like it?" she repeated. "What's the problem, Sparky?"  
  
"She, uh, she hung up on me again," Josh said quietly. C.J. could see the tears welling up in her friend's eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry," she said softly, removing her feet from the desk and sitting upright. "Josh, this is hard for her. She was on the phone with you when her husband was blown up. Can you imagine the guilt she must be feeling right now?"  
  
"I know."  
  
C.J. shook her head. "No, I don't think you do. You're a single guy, Josh. It's not that big of a deal for you to fall in love with someone, but Eleanor was married. She stood before God and her family and friends and pledged her life to David. And she was happy – for four years, until she met you. This is a big deal. She was in love with another man."  
  
"She WAS in love me?" he nearly shrieked. "Do you think that's true? Do you think she doesn't love me anymore?"  
  
"Josh," C.J. tried to explain, "It was just a figure of speech. I can't really tell you how Ellie feels about you right now – other than that you are a major source of guilt."  
  
Josh rolled his eyes and slumped in his chair. "Thanks – you really know how to boost a guy's ego."  
  
"I didn't say it to be mean, Joshua, I said it because it's true and you need to own up to that. I'm getting slammed in briefing because you have to go and fall in love with the boss's daughter," she ranted.  
  
"I didn't do it on purpose," he shot back irritably, rising from his chair and heading out of her office. "I'm sorry that my mistakes are causing you pain, C.J."  
  
"Josh!" she called after his retreating form, "that's not what I..." He was gone and could no longer hear her. "Damn it!" she cursed, slamming her fist down on her desk. "Carol!" she shouted to her assistant. The brunette appeared in the doorway instantly.  
  
"Get Eleanor McGarry on the phone, please," C.J. asked.

* * *

Ellie strode purposely through the hallways of the West Wing, heading for C.J.'s office while attempting to avoid Josh's. She was so busy trying to avoid him; she didn't notice that she was about to walk right into him.  
  
"Ellie!" he exclaimed after their bodies collided. He reached out instinctively to steady her with his hands. For a split second, neither of them moved. Then, Ellie shrugged out of his embrace. "Hi, Josh," she said quietly.  
  
"What are you doing here?" he asked curiously, fighting the smile threatening to erupt on his face from just being in the same vicinity as her again.  
  
"C.J. wanted to meet with me," she explained uncomfortably. "I have no idea why."  
  
"Oh," he answered, his eyes twinkling with delight. "You want to me to walk you?"  
  
"I know where her office is, Josh," she said irritably. "I don't need an escort."  
  
"I know, but I want to," he answered, ignoring her tone.  
  
"It's a free country," she muttered, starting off again in the direction of C.J.'s office. Josh jogged to catch up with her.  
  
"You look great, Ellie," he marveled. "You cut your hair."  
  
Ellie brought a hand up to her newly shorn locks, which now just grazed her shoulder. "It was time for a change," she explained.  
  
"I like it," he answered happily.  
  
"Thanks," she muttered. Ellie swallowed hard and stopped walking, turning to face Josh. "Josh?"  
  
"Yeah," he asked, smiling as he faced her.  
  
"I can't do this with you," she explained, hoping that the tears forming in her eyes would stay put until she made it to C.J.'s office.  
  
"Do what?" he asked curiously, bringing a hand up to her arm. She shrugged away from his touch again, and Josh's heart fell into his stomach.  
  
"This, Josh," she answered, her voice barely about a whisper. "Pretending that everything is fine and completely normal. What we did was wrong."  
  
"Ellie, it's not our fault we fell in love," his tone was defensive, but soft.  
  
The tears finally escaped and Ellie hung her head. "It is our fault, Josh. We let it happen when we should have stopped it before it even got started. Maybe...maybe it wasn't really love anyway."  
  
Josh felt like he'd been punched in the stomach. "Don't say that, Ellie. You know it's not true."  
  
Ellie shook her head painfully. "That's just it, Josh. I don't know. I don't know anything anymore except that I cheated on my husband with you and now he's dead. And I can't take that back. I can't fix things with him and it's killing me."  
  
"Ellie," he said slowly and deliberately, "I love you and..."  
  
"Stop," she ordered angrily. "Just stop. Don't say it. I don't...I can't hear it." Ellie wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and drew a ragged breath. "I can't do this," her voice and eyes both pleaded with him. "Please, Josh, you've got to stop."  
  
"Stop what?" he demanded, "Loving you? You think it's some switch I can just turn off because you say so?"  
  
"You have to try, Josh."  
  
"No," he answered, his tone growing more heated by the second, "I am going to love you until the day I die, Eleanor Bartlet, and that's something you are just going to have to live with."  
  
"I can't," she explained, her voice cracking as she backed away from him quickly. "I'm sorry," she said, turning her back on him and heading away from C.J.'s office, toward the residence.  
  
He watched the woman he loved walk away from him and he realized at that moment he was helpless to stop her. He stood there until he could no longer see her, until she had disappeared down the hallway leading to the residence. He stood there, hoping that she'd turn around and come back to him, or just glance at him, offering him some kind of hope. She didn't.  
  
TBC.... 


	19. Won't You Cry A Little?

Disclaimer – I don't own any of these characters – they are the property of NBC, John Wells and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin.  
  
Rating – PG for now  
  
Pairings – Josh/Ellie, Ellie/OC  
  
Spoilers – None  
  
Summary – Josh Lyman meets Eleanor Bartlettt during the campaign and falls in love with the young, married medical student. For the purposes of my story, Ellie is several years older in this story and very different than she is on the show.  
  
I've had this story in my head for years, and have finally forged the courage to begin writing. Here's hoping you enjoy it!! The song by Evanescence, "My Immortal" is the soundtrack for the story.

* * *

He wanted to cry, but the tears just wouldn't come. He wanted to cry for her, for himself, for everything they'd already been through, and for everything that might have been. "Maybe...maybe it wasn't really love anyway." Ellie's words echoed over and over in his head and he was helpless to stop them.  
  
He paced the floor in his office, running his hand over and over through his hair, begging her voice to stop rattling in his head. What did she know? Why did she get to decide whether or not they were really in love? Who gave her that power? You did, Josh finally answers himself. You gave her that power by loving her, by giving everything you are to her.  
  
How could she just walk away from what they had? Yeah, okay, she was married; he got that. But, married people fall in love with other people all the time. Why was Eleanor Bartlettt so damned different? Why did she get to be all noble and philosophical now that her husband's dead?  
  
He picked up the phone and dialed a familiar number. "Aaron McKenzie, please," he requested of the voice on the other end. He waited for the doctor to pick up the phone. "Aaron, Ellie and I just had an argument and I could really use someone to talk to." His therapist agreed, inviting Josh to come to the office immediately – he'd be waiting.

* * *

She could see the staff parking lot from the residence. She watched him open his car door, slinging his backpack onto the passenger seat. She watched as he paused and looked up to the window of the residence, as if he could see her there. She watched as he climbed in and slammed the door, resting his head for just a moment on the steering wheel before he fired the Audi up and screeched out of the parking lot.  
  
He was angry, he was hurt and she knew that she caused his pain. "It had to be done," she whispered, hugging herself tightly. A single tear wound its way down her cheek. It's the most difficult thing she's ever had to do. More difficult than admitting to herself that she was in love with him – more difficult than admitting she didn't love her husband as much as she loved him – more difficult than burying her husband, along with so many unresolved issues. She'd walked away from the man she loved. She'd even told him she wasn't sure she'd ever loved him.  
  
He thought it was so easy. She shook her head as she watched the Audi disappear from view. He loved her, she loved him – he just didn't see the problems. She was the President's daughter and he just didn't seem to comprehend how it would look for her to begin dating him so soon after her husband's death. He didn't get the fact that some reporter, somewhere, would speak to someone she worked with at the hospital, who would be more than willing to confess to their relationship while David was alive. Too many people knew the truth and giving in to their love for one another could bring down her father's administration, not to mention kill his chances for re-election.  
  
The tears came faster then. She firmly believed all of this, and knew in her heart she as doing the right thing, but it didn't soothe the longing in her heart. He thought that she didn't take his phone calls because she felt guilty about their relationship. He had no idea. He didn't know that he was her last thought at night, her waking thought in the morning. He didn't know that she wondered every moment of every day what he was doing. He had no idea how much it affected her work. Her friends and family assumed her distraction was grief. He had no idea that every single time the phone rang she begged God to let it be him. And, that when she does hear his voice on the other end of the line, she'd be overcome by fear. The panic would set in, overwhelming her. She heard the love in his voice – the concern and even the passion and it terrifies her. She's never loved anyone the way she loves this man. She knows that if she's in his presence for too long, she'll give in.

* * *

He finally cried. Resting on the deep burgundy leather of his therapist's couch, allowing the supple fabric to cradle him – he cried.  
  
"Do you believe her?" Aaron asked softly.  
  
"I don't want to," Josh answered honestly.  
  
"Josh, you have to talk to her," the doctor recommended.  
  
"I can't," he quietly pleaded.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because..." he began, his voice heavy and deep with the emotion overtaking him, "if I see in her eyes that she doesn't love me, I just..."  
  
"You just what, Josh?"  
  
"I don't know how to live without her, Aaron. These past weeks, I've tried. I love her too much to let her go, and if I have to let her go, I just don't know what I'll do."  
  
"Talk to her, Josh," he stated again.  
  
"Yeah," he answered, rising quickly from the couch. "I'm going to go now."  
  
"To talk to her?" Aaron asked gently.  
  
"Yeah," he answered without an ounce of truth. He was lying then. Lying to himself and to his therapist. Lying to the world, he realized, and the tears began falling again.  
  
TBC.... 


	20. Sudden Change of Plans

Disclaimer – I don't own any of these characters – they are the property of NBC, John Wells and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin.  
  
Rating – Quickly slipping into....yep, smut. Pretty R rated stuff too. And it only took me twenty chapters. That's a new record. If it offends, please stop reading at the line. I promise that when you go on to the next chapter, you won't have missed anything crucial.  
  
Pairings – Josh/Ellie, Ellie/OC  
  
Spoilers – None  
  
Summary – Josh Lyman meets Eleanor Bartlet during the campaign and falls in love with the young, married medical student. For the purposes of my story, Ellie is several years older in this story and very different than she is on the show.  
  
I've had this story in my head for years, and have finally forged the courage to begin writing. Here's hoping you enjoy it!! The song by Evanescence, "My Immortal" is the soundtrack for the story.  
  
**A/N – Special thanks to everyone who's read and reviewed this story so far, especially Lanfear and Mosesmum. Your encouraging words mean so very, very much to me.  
**

* * *

Ellie shifted nervously in the limousine, biting her fingernail as she listened to her Secret Service agent, Ben Thompson recap the events of the past few moments. He'd grabbed her out of a luncheon speech she was giving for the Daughters of the American Revolution in place of her mother. There had been shots fired at the White House. No one was injured; Ben had assured her of that probably a thousand times in the last few minutes, but Ellie was shaken nonetheless.  
  
"And no one in the building or outside was hurt?" she asked again.  
  
"Ellie," Ben answered, "I wouldn't lie to you. You know that."  
  
They arrived in the circular drive to the White House and Ben opened the door for Eleanor, offering his hand as she stepped out of the limo. She walked calmly past the Marines stationed at the front doors, and once out of the press's camera range, she took off in a run toward the Oval Office. She burst through the doors without checking with Charlie, and found her father sitting at his desk, listening to the head of the Secret Service giving him the details of the shooting.  
  
"Ellie," Jed stood and enveloped his daughter into waiting arms. "I'm fine, everyone's fine, Ben told you that already."  
  
"I was still so scared," she admitted, burying her face in his shoulder.  
  
"It was just some random guy who's got a beef with me, thinking if he shoots in the general direction of bulletproof glass, he might get my attention," Jed answered, smoothing his daughter's hair with his hand.  
  
"Got my attention," she shot back irritably. "I was terrified that it was Rosslyn all over again."  
  
Jed closed his eyes and sighed; then held his daughter at arm's length. "Go find him," he directed, motioning toward the door. "You're not going to be satisfied until you've seen that he's okay."  
  
"Dad..."  
  
"Ellie," he stopped her. "Do it for your sake and my sanity, okay?"  
  
Ellie nodded weakly and stepped away from her father. She walked out of the Oval Office; then followed her internal Auto Pilot toward Josh's office. Josh was sitting at his desk, arguing with someone – she assumed Donna, since the assistant was in Wisconsin following her grandfather's death. She stepped into the doorway and stared at him, fighting the urge to grab him out of his chair and wrap him in her arms.  
  
"I'm not calling Stanley," he bellowed into the phone, "and I'm not calling Aaron, Donna. I was in the bathroom when it happened. I didn't see or hear anything."  
  
He glanced up finally and stared at her wide-eyed. "Donna," he said into the phone, "I gotta go, Ellie's here." He listened for a moment, then added, "Yeah, you heard me right. Bye."  
  
He stood from behind his desk, never taking his eyes off her. Ellie shifted uncomfortably under the weight of his stare. "Ellie, what are you doing here?" he asked finally.  
  
"I had to...I just wanted to make sure..." she rambled. Ellie stopped and took a deep breath, suddenly interested in the pattern on the rug. "I'm just glad you're okay," she said without looking up.  
  
"Yeah, I was in the bathroom," he answered, a frown creasing his features, "Well, you heard..."  
  
What finally propelled her to cross the threshold of his office, she wasn't sure. She suddenly found herself surrounded by his strong arms, his face buried in her hair. "Josh," she whispered, unsure of her voice, "I was so scared. The whole ride here, I thought..."  
  
He pulled away from her slightly, capturing her face in his hands. "Baby," he said tenderly, "I'm here and I'm fine. I'm not going anywhere." He tipped his face down to hers, brushing his lips softly over hers. Ellie sighed, snaking her arms around his neck and leaning into his embrace. She parted her lips slightly, and he took advantage, sliding his tongue gently into her mouth, deepening the kiss. Tears spilled from Eleanor's eyes, adding saltiness to a kiss that neither of them wanted to end.  
  
"I love you, Eleanor," he whispered when they finally broke apart for air. "I love you so much."  
  
"Josh," she answered, desperately trying to find her determination to keep her distance from him again. "We can't."  
  
"We can," he argued, his tone defying argument. "You love me. It's written all over your face, and I'm sorry, but I'm not going to let that go. It's been over a year, Ellie."  
  
"Josh, he's running for re-election and this, with the MS, it could..."  
  
"So, we'll keep it quiet," he answered with a grin, not releasing his hold on her. "No making out in public places, that kind of thing. We can do this."  
  
"But..." she said, unable to form a thought coherent enough to finish her sentence.  
  
He took her face in his hands again and gazed deep into her eyes. "No buts, Ellie." He took a deep breath. "Do you love me?"  
  
"Josh."  
  
"Ellie."  
  
She closed her eyes and swallowed hard, her determination crumbling. "You know I do, Josh."  
  
His grin was brighter than she'd ever seen. He honestly looked as if he'd just won the lottery. He gathered her into his arms and laughed. "Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting to hear that?" He kissed her again, their tongues dueling for control over a situation neither was sure of. There was so much pent-up frustration and passion in this kiss, both were left breathless.  
  
"Josh," she said, not caring how wrong it was, only knowing how much she needed him.  
  
"I'm grabbing my bag and we're out of here," he answered, pulling away from her finally, completely understanding her unspoken message.  
  
"Where?" she requested.  
  
"My place," he answered, grabbing her arm and pulling her close to him again.  
  
Ellie smiled resting her hands on his chest. "Down boy," she gently commanded.  
  
Josh cocked an eyebrow at her. "Not this time, Ellie."

* * *

This time – there was nothing and no one stopping them. His tongue brushed across her lips, begging for entrance, which she willingly gave. Ellie wrapped her arms around his neck and Josh's hands found their way onto her back, bringing her even closer to him, if that were possible.  
  
She pulled away from him and looked up into his eyes. "Josh," she began, but was silenced by Josh's finger on her lips.  
  
"You don't have to say anything, Ellie," he said quietly.  
  
"I was going to say," she answered, her green eyes twinkling, "that I think we should probably take this into the bedroom."  
  
"Oh," was all he could think of as a reply. He pressed her into the wall in the entryway, bringing his lips down on hers again. He could feel her smile against his mouth and lean into his embrace.  
  
Josh pulled away for a moment, tracing his finger down the side of her face. "I love you, Ellie," he whispered.  
  
She looked up at him, tears welling up in her beautiful green eyes. "I love you too, Josh," she answered, capturing his lips again. "Josh," she said when she pulled away.  
  
"I'm on it, I swear," he answered, scooping her off the floor and cradling her in his arms as he carried her into the bedroom. He gently set her down as he stepped inside. Josh's lips found Ellie's neck just as his hands found the zipper of her dress. He slowly inched it down, caressing the ivory skin he revealed with his fingertips. She moaned, pushing his jacket past his shoulders and tugging the tie away from his neck, tossing it onto the floor and starting to work on the buttons of his dress shirt.  
  
He groaned and captured her face in his hands, kissing her deeply as he maneuvered them closer to the bed. Ellie pulled away from him and took another step back, smiling shyly as she reached up, taking the dress fabric from her shoulders and shimmying out of it, allowing the light green fabric to fall to the floor.  
  
Josh sucked in a deep breath, taking it all in – Ellie standing before him, clad now in only a lacy ivory bra and panties. She closed the space between them, caressing his chest with her lips, pushing his shirt past his shoulders. He heard himself moan as Ellie's tongue tickled his chest hair, and he brought one hand up to her honey brown curls, silently encouraging her on. She looked up at him and smiled mischievously, reaching for his belt. She slid the brown leather out of the loops and dropped it unceremoniously onto the floor.  
  
She unbuttoned and unzipped his pants, allowing them to fall onto the floor with a small thud. "Oops," she said coyly, eliciting a soft laugh from Josh.  
  
"What are we going to do about that, Doc?" he asked, trailing his lips over the swell of her breasts.  
  
"I've got a few ideas," she answered breathlessly, turning away from him to crawl onto the bed. She beckoned him with her finger.  
  
He stretched out over her, crushing his lips on hers. "I've got hundreds," he countered, attacking her neck with his tongue. Ellie moaned with pleasure, winding her fingers through his hair. Josh kissed a trail down her neck, deftly releasing her breasts from their confinement before lavishing attention on each of them. His tongue danced over the increasingly taut peaks, causing Ellie to writhe beneath him.  
  
He grinned against her skin, moving down her body with his mouth, tracing the circle of her belly button before reaching a barrier of ivory satin. He rose up just slightly, enough to rid her of the panties and settle himself between her legs. Josh kissed a trail from her ankle to her hip, watching Ellie's face intently as his tongue caressed her skin. He traced the outline of her silky opening with his finger, quickly replacing it with his tongue as Ellie's panting grew heavier. She gasped and groped blindly for his hair as he plunged his tongue inside her, tasting a sweetness that could only belong to her.  
  
"Josh...." She moaned, winding her fingers through his hair.  
  
"Yeah?" he asked gently.  
  
"C'mere," she ordered. He obeyed, aligning their bodies and dipping his head to kiss her again. Ellie could taste herself on his lips as she deepened the kiss and pushed his boxers past his waist, enveloping his length with her fingers. "You've been holding out on me," she teased.  
  
"You have no idea," he nearly growled, the lower half of his body thrusting involuntarily against her hand.  
  
"So, show me," she gently ordered, tracing the outline of his ear with her tongue. His hardness was pressed against her opening and Ellie whimpered slightly beneath him. "I don't want to just have sex with you, Ellie," he started slowly, kissing the sides of her mouth and the tip of her nose. "I want to make love with you."  
  
Ellie nodded slowly and he slipped gently inside her, the feeling of coming home overwhelming him as he stroked her slowly, fighting the desire to thrust deep and fast. "Josh," she said quietly, her eyes filled with tears, "I've wanted this for so long."  
  
"I know baby," he answered, capturing her hands over her head with his own, "I wanted it too."  
  
He thrust slowly and deliberately, filling her each time he moved. She clung to him for dear life, gently matching each of his thrusts with one of her own. She rolled him over, straddling his legs and slowly took in his length again. Her eyes rolled back into her head as he filled her, and she rocked against him. When he'd had enough of her teasing strokes, he sat up keeping himself inside her and grasping her hips, guiding her movements over him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, tracing the edge of his ear with her tongue. "Ellie," he groaned, increasing the tempo of their lovemaking slightly, sending her crashing over the edge.  
  
He held her tightly against him as her body went lax from the orgasm. "Josh," she moaned, "I never knew it could feel like this."  
  
"Like what, Ellie?" he whispered, teasing her breast again with his tongue, "tell me how it feels."  
  
She smiled a sleepy smile and kissed a trail over his collarbone as he continued to move inside her. "Like heaven, Josh." She whispered in his ear, "I love you."  
  
He came inside her with her confession still lingering on her lips. He kissed her deeply, mumbling against her lips, "I love you too. I always have."  
  
He lifted her off of him, and she crawled up to the head of the bed, resting her head against the mountain of pillows. He scooted in behind her, spooning against her and wrapping her securely in his arms. When she shivered, he reached beneath them and pulled the covers away, enveloping them in a cocoon of soft cotton.  
  
"Ellie?" he whispered, just before they both drifted off to sleep.  
  
"Yeah?" she answered softly.  
  
"I love you."  
  
He felt her smile against his arm and snuggle deeper into his embrace. "I love you too, Joshua."  
  
"It seems we're always saying that at the wrong times, doesn't it?"  
  
"I know," she sighed. "Maybe this time will be different."  
  
He kissed her temple gently. "We'll make it work, my love, I promise."  
  
TBC.... 


	21. A Tale of Two Fathers

* * *

Disclaimer – I don't own any of these characters – they are the property of NBC, John Wells and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin.  
  
Rating – PG 13. I know, I know, it's disappointing!  
  
Pairings – Josh/Ellie, Ellie/OC  
  
Spoilers – None  
  
Summary – Josh Lyman meets Eleanor Bartlet during the campaign and falls in love with the young, married medical student. For the purposes of my story, Ellie is several years older in this story and very different than she is on the show.  
  
I've had this story in my head for years, and have finally forged the courage to begin writing. Here's hoping you enjoy it!! The song by Evanescence, "My Immortal" is the soundtrack for the story.

* * *

Leo entered the office early, stopping by Margaret's desk to pick up the mail. A plain manila envelope caught his attention – mostly for it's lack of return address. He sat down at his desk and balanced his reading glasses on the tip of his nose. He took out his letter opener, quickly opening the envelope, careful to make sure there wasn't anything funny on the envelope. In this day and age, he knew you couldn't be too careful. He slid the contents onto his desk and gaped at the photographs the envelope had revealed.  
  
"MARGARET!" he screamed.  
  
His assistant popped into the doorframe almost immediately. "Yes, Leo?"  
  
"Get that son of a bitch Deputy of mine in here right this minute," he demanded, sorting quickly through each of the ten photographs he'd found inside the envelope.  
  
"O-okay," Margaret stammered.

* * *

Josh sauntered into Leo's office, completely oblivious to the firestorm that awaited him. Leo was sitting on the couch, the President beside him. Neither man looked happy.  
  
"Sit down, Josh," Leo commanded, his tone harsh and cold.  
  
"What's up?" Josh asked curiously, studying their expressions.  
  
Leo said nothing, tossing the envelope at Josh. Josh glanced down at the label, noting that it was addressed to Leo. He slid the contents into his hand and immediately gasped. Photographs of he and Eleanor that had been apparently taken through the window of her apartment. They were kissing and dancing. Josh remembered the night vividly. "L-Leo," he stuttered, "I can explain..."  
  
"What could you possibly have to say to me or to the President that might make this situation even remotely better?" Leo demanded.  
  
"We were going to keep a secret until after the election," Josh answered weakly.  
  
"Wrong answer," Bartlet bellowed, rising from the couch and turning to Leo. "I'm leaving you to deal with this one while I go eliminate the other one."  
  
"It will be my pleasure, Mr. President," Leo answered, never removing his steely gaze from Josh, who was now sweating at the prospect of being "eliminated" by his boss.  
  
The President stepped from the room, leaving Leo and Josh alone. "Leo," he began, "you've got to listen to me..."  
  
"How long, Josh?"  
  
"Three months," Josh answered honestly.  
  
"And before David's death?"  
  
"She kissed me once, I kissed her once. A lot of flirtation, but I swear I never slept with her until three months ago," he answered softly, diverting his gaze to the floor like a schoolboy facing the principal.  
  
"That was a little too much information, Josh," Leo answered coldly. "What am I going to do with the two of you? We're at the end of the campaign, Josh. It's October and the elections are four weeks away. How could you be so stupid?"  
  
"Leo, we really were trying to keep it a secret, I swear." He paused, studying Leo's reaction carefully. "Are you mad because we're dating or mad because we're doing it during the campaign?"  
  
Leo laughed bitterly. "I'm mad about so many things, Josh. First of all, I'm mad that my daughter-in-law is dumb enough to start dating the man she was rumored to be having an affair with during her father's Presidential re- election campaign. Secondly, I'm mad that the political genius I hired as my Deputy is stupid enough to start dating the President's daughter during the campaign. Third, I'm mad that you got caught because it makes us look bad. Fourth, I'm mad that I didn't catch on sooner."  
  
"But that's all your mad about, right? You don't want us to break up, do you?"  
  
Leo closed his eyes and sighed; then yanked the pictures from Josh's hands and scanning them quickly. He chose one out of the stack and handed it back to Josh. Ellie's was wrapped in his arms, and even from a distance, Josh could see the huge smile on her face. "Look at her," Leo commanded. "Look how happy she looks, Josh. I'm angry with both of you, but I'm not heartless. I love Ellie as if she was my own, and all I want for that little girl is to be happy. And if you make her happy, then so be it."  
  
"What about the President?" Josh asked.  
  
"Oh, he wants you dead," Leo answered honestly. "He's far more pissed than I ever thought about being."  
  
"He doesn't care that she's happy?" Josh tried a grin. Leo didn't return it.  
  
"Not especially," Leo shot back. "He's not as nice and forgiving as I am."  
  
"Who has these?" Josh inquired.  
  
"I have no idea, but I have a feeling you are going to be getting a call from C.J......" Leo paused as Josh tried to dig the ringing cell phone out of his pocket. "Right about now," he continued.  
  
Josh flipped the phone open, bracing himself for the barrage of insults and obscenities that were about to come flying out of the Press Secretary's mouth.  
  
"Get in here NOW!" she screamed.

* * *

Ellie threw open the door to the Oval Office, barging in on her father and Charlie reviewing the morning schedule. "Dad, I can explain..."  
  
"Don't bother," he answered coldly. "Josh has done quite enough of that for both of you."  
  
"I'm going to step out now," Charlie said sheepishly, making a quick exit out of the room, leaving father and daughter alone.  
  
"Dad."  
  
"Eleanor," he began. "I have prided myself throughout the years on how brilliant, how intelligent and yes, how beautiful my daughters turned out. And now, four weeks before the biggest election of my entire life, one of them goes and screws up royally."  
  
"Dad, stop," Ellie demanded, her tone as harsh as his. "I am not going to stand here and listen to you tell me that I screwed up, because I didn't. I love him, Dad, and I'm sorry if that pisses you off. I'm sorry if you think I should have waited five or ten years before falling in love with someone else. But the fact is, I was in love with him long before David died and..."  
  
"Don't you get it?" the President bellowed, coming around the desk to where she was standing. "That's what I'm the most pissed about! I don't care that you've started dating again, Eleanor. I care that you've started dating him!"  
  
"Why?" she demanded.  
  
"Because once the press gets wind of this, all those questions are going to come creeping up again – were they or weren't they?"  
  
"You're angry because you think this is going to affect your campaign?" she asked angrily.  
  
"I'm angry because this is going to affect you. Screw the campaign, Ellie. You can't do any more damage than I've already done," he explained with a wave of his hand. "But you don't deserve this and neither does David's memory."  
  
He grasped his daughter by the shoulders. "Ellie, I want you to be happy, God knows Leo and I both do."  
  
"He makes me happy, Daddy," she admitted quietly.  
  
"I want you to make yourself happy first," he answered. "You're jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire with Josh, Ellie. You've got to be prepared for what dating a man like him is going to be like."  
  
"And what's that?"  
  
"You knew David from the day you were born. He was so much a part of you – the woman you became. Josh is new and exciting, and that's fine, but he's also arrogant and egotistical and sarcastic."  
  
"You're saying you don't think he's the right guy for me," she stated.  
  
The President shook his head. "No, I honestly don't, Ellie. I know that he loves you and that you love him, but I just don't see you two having what it takes to make it work."  
  
Ellie swallowed the tears begging for release, committing herself to standing tough against her father – something she'd never done before in her life. "I'm sorry you feel that way Daddy. But I love him, and I'm going to let this relationship go where it takes us."  
  
"I was afraid you were going to say that," he grumbled, sitting back down at his desk and putting his glasses on.  
  
"Are you still angry with me?" she asked curiously.  
  
He glared at her over the rims of his glasses. "Ellie, have I ever stayed angry with you for more than five minutes?"  
  
"No, but I also don't want this to be the first," she shot back.  
  
"If he hurts you, I'll kill him," Bartlet announced. "If you hurt him, I'll celebrate. That's the last thing I have to say on the matter."  
  
"That's not very nice, Dad," she scolded.  
  
"Get out of my office," he demanded.  
  
TBC... 


	22. Open Mouth, Insert Foot

Disclaimer – I don't own any of these characters – they are the property of NBC, John Wells and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin.  
  
Rating – PG – 13 maybe. Ellie's a little hacked off at Josh and there's no telling what's going to come out of her mouth.  
  
Pairings – Josh/Ellie, Ellie/OC  
  
Spoilers – None  
  
Summary – Josh Lyman meets Eleanor Bartlet during the campaign and falls in love with the young, married medical student. For the purposes of my story, Ellie is several years older in this story and very different than she is on the show.  
  
I've had this story in my head for years, and have finally forged the courage to begin writing. Here's hoping you enjoy it!!  
  
A/N – The election is over, Bartlet's been re-elected and Sam probably really shouldn't be there anymore, but quite frankly, I don't like Will as much. He's not as cute and he's not as funny – so we're going to pretend that the dude in California didn't die and Sam never ran for his Congressional seat, thereby giving him absolutely no reason whatsoever to leave the Bartlet Administration.

* * *

"Josh?" C.J.'s voice was raspy and weak and Josh shook the sleep from his head.  
  
"C.J.," he complained, glancing at his bedside clock. "It's four in the morning."  
  
"I'm sick, Josh," she said with a slight whine.  
  
"Take some aspirin and I'll see you in the office later," he recommended, resting back on the bed in anticipation of going back to sleep.  
  
"Josh, I have the flu. I have a 104-degree fever and I'm not coming in to work today."  
  
He sat up suddenly, swinging his feet down onto the floor. "You're what?"  
  
"Not coming in today, Joshua. Wake the hell up. If I'm miserable, then by God you're going to be miserable too," she answered irritably.  
  
"Who's going to do the briefing?" he asked curiously, remembering in vivid detail the last time he was asked to do the briefing.  
  
"Guess what, Sparky," she answered with a cough.  
  
"No, C.J.," he shot back, fully awake now. "No! Don't you remember what happened the last time I did the briefing?"  
  
"Learn from your mistakes, Joshua. I'm sorry, but there's no one else," she said.  
  
"Okay, fine. I'll do it, but you owe me," he warned.  
  
"I'm sure," she muttered.  
  
"You'll owe me big, C.J., huge..."  
  
"Don't screw up and we'll discuss it," C.J. answered, hanging up on him.

* * *

"Josh!"  
  
"Josh!"  
  
"Josh!"  
  
"Pamela," he called out, pointing at the cute, blonde reporter from the NY Times. She stood quickly and began rattling off her question.  
  
"Josh, the President is meeting today with the Lord John Marbury, isn't that correct?"  
  
"It is," he answered, quite pleased with how the briefing was going up to this point.  
  
"Can you tell me what that meeting is about?"  
  
"Of course I can," he answered with his most charming smile. "The President is inviting several friends from England to the Inauguration and he will be discussing that along with several other items with Lord Marbury."  
  
"What other items would that be, Josh?"  
  
"The possibility of Beckham being traded to another team?" Josh said with a laugh. "Honestly, I have no idea. The President's meetings with the Ambassador tend to take on a life on their own."  
  
"Josh!"  
  
"Josh!"  
  
"Yeah, Todd," he said, glancing down quickly at his briefing notes.  
  
"Josh, the Committee on National Public Healthcare released their report this morning and in it, they detailed a plan on how the Administration could realistically incorporate a National Public Health Insurance System during the next four years."  
  
"I haven't read it yet," Josh answered honestly, scratching the side of his face.  
  
"How much consideration is the Bartlet Administration going to give the report?" Todd asked.  
  
"Well, I'm sure that considering that this was the pet project of the President's middle daughter, he'll look at it, but other than that," Josh grinned.  
  
"But other than that, what?" Todd questioned.  
  
"We'll have to look at the report, Todd, I can't intelligently answer any questions about it until I've read it," he stated.  
  
"But since Eleanor McGarry's on the committee, he'll look at it?" he asked.  
  
"She's actually gone back to Bartlet now, and yeah," Josh said with a shrug. "Okay, folks, that's all the time we've got for now." Josh stepped from the podium and headed into the hallway with Carol on his heels. Sam met in them in the hallway.  
  
"She's going to kick your ass," Sam warned.  
  
"I did great," Josh answered, slapping Sam on the back.  
  
"I'm not talking about C.J.," Sam clarified. "I'm talking about Eleanor. She's the one who is going to kick your ass."  
  
"What for?" Josh wondered aloud.  
  
"You called the Committee on National Public Healthcare her 'pet project'," he answered.  
  
"I did?" he asked with a frown, trying to recall the briefing. His cell phone rang in his jacket pocket and he reached in to get it. "Hello."  
  
"HER PET PROJECT?" C.J. screamed. "I leave you alone for one day and you go off and call CNPH Eleanor's pet project? You just took away the Committee's entire credibility in one sentence!"  
  
"C.J," Josh answered defensively.  
  
"Shut up," she said, "I'm dizzy. I have a 104 degree fever and the flu and you've made me dizzy." He stayed quiet, waiting patiently for C.J. to sit down and stop the room from spinning. "She's going to kick your ass," she mused aloud.  
  
"So I'm being told," he answered, beginning his procession down the hall again.  
  
"You're an idiot, Josh," C.J. complained loudly. "Fix it. I don't care what you have to do, I don't care whose ass you have to kiss, but fix it."  
  
"Yeah," he answered snapping the phone shut.  
  
"And I'd start with Eleanor," Sam chimed in.  
  
"You could hear that?" Josh frowned again, examining his cell phone closely.  
  
"She was pretty loud," Sam answered.

* * *

Ellie stormed into Josh's office and slammed the door. "PET PROJECT!" she screamed, her arms flailing wildly.  
  
"Honey, I..." Josh stammered, standing to greet her.  
  
Ellie's finger was suddenly in his face. "Don't you 'honey' me. Don't you 'baby' me. Don't you say anything, Josh." She paced the room angrily, glaring furiously at him. "I can't believe you. Yes, I can, you're an egotistical, self-centered maniac."  
  
"In my defense," he began.  
  
"Shut up!" she yelled, continuing her pacing. "I have worked on this Committee for three years, Josh. I have poured three years of blood, sweat and tears into this project..."  
  
"Honey, I know," he tried again.  
  
"I told you to shut up," she said through clenched teeth. "We finally, finally, get a plan together that's realistic. One that the administration could get behind and be proud of. One that would mean hundreds of thousands of uninsured families would have medical coverage."  
  
"Ellie," he started.  
  
"What part of shut up did they not teach you at Harvard?" she said belligerently, leaning onto his desk with her fists.  
  
"What are you doing?" he asked curiously.  
  
"Trying desperately not to slug you in the face," she answered honestly. "I'm..."  
  
"You're pissed, honey, I get that," Josh answered, stepping over to her and attempting to wrap his arms around her waist. "Come on, our six month anniversary is tonight."  
  
"You're joking, right?" she asked, her eyes cold as she pushed his arms away. "I'm not pissed, Josh," she said weakly. "I'm hurt. In one short sentence, you've belittled and diminished three years of work. How would you feel if I did that to you?"  
  
He considered her words carefully before answering. They'd been arguing regularly lately – the stress and the strain of the campaign and Inaugural planning taking an enormous toll on both of them. They hadn't had sex in over a month and hadn't spent one night together in the last two weeks, thanks to Ellie's suddenly obnoxious work schedule. He knew he was sitting in a very precarious position that could, quite possibly, lead to the biggest fight they'd ever had. Tonight, he'd planned a nice dinner for Ellie and in his sock drawer was a ring. An engagement ring - and he was hoping she'd say yes.  
  
"Josh?" she demanded. "I asked you a question, and I'd like an answer."  
  
"I don't know how I'd feel, Ellie, because I know you'd never be stupid enough to do something like that to me," he answered.  
  
Ellie shook her head and laughed bitterly. "That's because I think before I speak, Josh. Something you never seem to have mastered."  
  
"I'm sorry," he said, hanging his head.  
  
"That's not good enough, Josh," she answered. "Tonight's off. I don't want to see you tonight."  
  
His eyes widened in shock. "Ellie, I..." he stammered.  
  
"NO! Josh, I need to be alone right now. I need to think about some things. I have to figure out a way to explain to these wonderful people I've dedicated so much time to that this colossal mistake can be fixed." She shrugged away from him and headed for the door. "You've really fouled up this time, you know that, right?"  
  
"I do," he said with a nod, "and I'm still really sorry."  
  
"Well, if you're not now, you will be shortly," she promised, throwing open the door and storming out.  
  
TBC.... 


	23. The Beginning of the End

Disclaimer – I don't own any of these characters – they are the property of NBC, John Wells and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin.  
  
Rating – PG, for now  
  
Pairings – Josh/Ellie, Ellie/OC  
  
Spoilers – None  
  
Summary – Josh Lyman meets Eleanor Bartlet during the campaign and falls in love with the young, married medical student. For the purposes of my story, Ellie is several years older in this story and very different than she is on the show.  
  
I've had this story in my head for years, and have finally forged the courage to begin writing. Here's hoping you enjoy it!!

* * *

He didn't even bother going to his apartment that night, knowing he wouldn't find her there. She was angrier than he'd ever seen her. He took a deep breath and knocked on Ellie's front door. She threw open the door, glaring at him. Her eyes were red, her face-tear streaked and her nose runny.  
  
"What do you want?" she demanded, deliberately blocking his entrance.  
  
"Ellie," he began reciting the speech he'd been preparing all afternoon. "I want you to know how incredibly and truly sorry I am for the mistake I made today. It was thoughtless and insensitive and I am going to do everything in my power to repair the damage that I've caused."  
  
Ellie rolled her eyes, her steely expression unchanged from that afternoon. "Nice," she said sarcastically, "how much of it did Sam write?"  
  
"None of it," he answered, growing slightly angry himself. "It's how I truly feel, Ellie."  
  
"Well, I hate to burst your bubble, Josh, but it doesn't change anything. I still don't want to see you," she said coldly.  
  
"That's fine, honey, I completely understand that you're upset, but, if you'd just let me..." Ellie slammed the door in his face, leaving him talking to the cold mahogany wood. Ben stepped up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder.  
  
"As much as I hate playing the Relationship Police, Ellie said that I am to remove you from the premises if you showed up," he explained wearily.  
  
"She asked her Secret Service agent to have me removed?" he asked incredulously.  
  
The brawny agent sighed heavily. "Mr. Lyman, I'm not any happier about this than you are, believe me."  
  
"She asked you to remove me?" he screeched.  
  
"Mr. Lyman, are we going to do this all night, because frankly, I'm tired. Being Ellie's bodyguard, therapist, best girlfriend and relationship counselor can be a little exhausting sometimes," Ben said.  
  
"Okay," Josh answered, his tone defeated. "Will you tell her that I love her and that I'll see her tomorrow?"  
  
"I will do that, Sir," Ben answered.  
  
"Okay," he said, turning to head down the stairs. "Thanks."

* * *

Josh collapsed on the couch in C.J.'s office three days later, twiddling his thumbs and tapping his foot nervously.  
  
"I'm still not speaking to you," C.J. announced. She was still sick and looked awful. She'd been told by Leo more than once to go home, but she would answer each time that obviously no one else could be trusted to do her job. She'd been taking it out on Josh for three solid days and had no plans to let up on him anytime soon.  
  
"She's hanging up on me again, C.J.," he complained. "I thought we were past all that crap."  
  
C.J. stopped typing on her computer and glared at him over the top rim of her glasses. "Josh, she's pissed, and she has every right to be."  
  
"While I don't disagree with you," Josh argued. "It's been three days. And she's still hanging up on me. I've spent half my yearly salary on flowers, messengered hand-written letters of apology to everyone on the Committee, including Ellie, and she's still hanging up on me."  
  
"What do you want from me?" C.J. demanded. "You fouled up, and in my mind and I'm sure Eleanor's mind, you haven't paid for it enough yet."  
  
"You're a woman, C.J.," he stated, eliciting a cold, hard stare from the Press Secretary, "what can I do to make this better?"  
  
"Josh, if you did that to me, you wouldn't have to worry about making it better, because I would have killed you three days ago," she answered harshly.  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yes, Sparky, really," she answered.  
  
"So, there's nothing I can do to fix this?"  
  
"Josh, you undermined three years worth of extremely hard work. You embarrassed the committee, the Bartlet family and the medical community as a whole," she explained. "This isn't something that's going to blow over anytime soon."  
  
"Do you think she'll forgive me by the Inauguration?" he asked.  
  
"I wouldn't count on it, Sparky," she said, resuming her typing. "You'll be going stag with the rest of us."  
  
TBC.... 


	24. New Beginnings All Around

Disclaimer – I don't own any of these characters – they are the property of NBC, John Wells and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin.  
  
Rating – PG, for now  
  
Pairings – Josh/Ellie, Ellie/OC  
  
Spoilers – None  
  
Summary – Josh Lyman meets Eleanor Bartlet during the campaign and falls in love with the young, married medical student. For the purposes of my story, Ellie is several years older in this story and very different than she is on the show.  
  
**A/N – My obsession with the men of Band of Brothers continues. In my sick and twisted imagination, now that I've killed off Ron Livingston, I need a new hottie to fill his shoes. Dr. West looks bizarrely like Damian Lewis, the very handsome British gentleman who plays Captain Winters in the mini- series**.

* * *

Josiah Bartlet stood on the stage outside the US Capitol, reciting the oath taken by every President before him:  
  
"I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."  
  
He shook the Chief Justice's hand; then turned to his family, embracing Abbey first, then each of his three daughters. The crowd cheered, loudly affirming the American people's choice for President. He then stepped up to the podium and began his speech. "My fellow Americans, I stand before you today..."  
  
Josh watched Eleanor - unable to tear his eyes away from her. She looked beautiful and he was captivated, just as he'd been the day he met her. Her hair was down, covered by a light blue winter hat with a black band around the base. Her long black coat was covering the matching blue wool skirt suit he'd seen her wearing in the residence that morning. Her eyes shown brightly as she watched her father delivering his second Inaugural address. She gazed at him with all the love and admiration a daughter could possibly have for her father.  
  
She was still angry with him - still not speaking to him, refusing to take his phone calls and having every batch of flowers he sent her returned, unceremoniously, to his office. She'd turned down his request, by way of Ben, to accompany her to the Inaugural Balls, insisting that she'd rather go alone than to go with him.  
  
C.J. tapped him on the shoulder as the speech wrapped up. "Time to go, Sparky."  
  
"Yeah," he answered, turning from Eleanor to climb into the Suburban that would carry the Senior Staff back to the White House.

* * *

Josh paced the floor outside the hallway leading to residence, waiting for Eleanor to appear. He had to talk to her – it had been over a month and he had decided it was time for Eleanor to let him out of the doghouse. He checked his watch, looking up when he heard laughter. Ellie was sauntering down the hallway behind Charlie and Zoey, her arm linked through the arm of a tall red headed man he had seen that morning at the Inauguration, but didn't recognize.  
  
She was gorgeous and Josh was rendered speechless - unable to feel anything but an overwhelming love for her. Her royal blue silk Emanuel Ungaro gown clung seductively to her curves. Her hair was swept up into an elegant chignon, revealing small sapphire and diamond chandelier earrings that hung enticingly from her earlobes. She was laughing, something Josh couldn't honestly remember seeing her do in months.  
  
They were almost past him before Josh finally found his voice again. "Ellie," he said weakly. She turned to face him, her smile fading immediately.  
  
"Josh, what do you want?" she asked coldly, "we're in a hurry."  
  
He stepped up to her, smiling on the outside even though he felt like he was dying on the inside. "I just wanted to..." he sized up the man standing next to her. "Who's your friend?"  
  
Ellie sighed and waved her silver evening purse between them. "Doctor Curtis West, Josh Lyman, Deputy Chief of Staff."  
  
Josh extended his hand to the doctor, who shook it firmly. "And Eleanor's boyfriend," he added to her introduction. "Do you work with Ellie at the hospital?"  
  
"No," Curtis answered, and Josh was surprised by the British accent. "The President and my father are old chums. Lord Phillip West – he just passed with my mother and the Bartlets. I've known Rosie here since she was a baby."  
  
"Rosie?" Josh asked curiously, furrowing his brow in confusion.  
  
"It's a nickname, Josh. Eleanor Rose," she explained.  
  
"I know your name, Eleanor," he answered, cutting her off.  
  
"Well, we should be going," she announced, noticing that the limos were waiting on them. "Josh, if you'll excuse us."  
  
"Ellie, we need to talk," he answered, deciding not to follow their exit to the limos. She didn't hear him, or she was ignoring him, but either way, she left him heartbroken.  
  
Curtis climbed into the limo behind Eleanor and settled himself on the leather seat. "Boyfriend, huh?" he asked curiously.  
  
"Ex-boyfriend," she corrected him. "He's the guy I told you about on the phone, Curt."  
  
"What you told me was that he was a heartless, egotistical, self-centered bastard," he clarified. "What you neglected to tell me was that he was still in love with you."  
  
"Yeah, well, I can't do anything about that," she shot back, fiddling with the skirt on her dress. She glanced up at him, her eyes pleading. "Curt, I don't want to talk about Josh." She took his hand and smiled gently. "One of my best friends in the whole wide world came all the way from the Congo to escort me to the ball. I just want to have a good time tonight."  
  
He reached over and pulled Eleanor close to him, placing a chaste kiss on her forehead. "I think I can manage that, Rosie."  
  
TBC... 


	25. The Very Thought of You

Disclaimer – I don't own any of these characters – they are the property of NBC, John Wells and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin.  
  
Rating – PG, for now  
  
Pairings – Josh/Ellie, Ellie/OC  
  
Spoilers – None  
  
Summary – Josh Lyman meets Eleanor Bartlet during the campaign and falls in love with the young, married medical student. For the purposes of my story, Ellie is several years older in this story and very different than she is on the show.  
  
A/N – My obsession with the men of Band of Brothers continues. In my sick and twisted imagination, now that I've killed off Ron Livingston, I need a new hottie to fill his shoes. Dr. West looks bizarrely like Damian Lewis, the very handsome British gentleman who plays Captain Winters in the mini- series.

* * *

Josh strode up beside C.J. at the Inaugural Ball as the President was making his speech. "C.J?" he asked quietly.  
  
The Press Secretary was watching the President and didn't hear him, so he tried again. "C.J!" he said a little louder.  
  
"Wha?" she stammered, turning to face Josh. "What's up Sparky?"  
  
"What do you know about Doctor Curtis West?" he demanded, his eyes darting over to where Curtis and Ellie were sitting, watching the President's speech. Curtis's arm was draped casually across the back of her chair and the simple, intimate action was driving Josh mad with jealously.  
  
"You mean other than the fact that he's gorgeous?" C.J. asked.  
  
"Yes, C.J.," he replied angrily, "I mean other than the fact that's gorgeous."  
  
"Doctor Curtis Phillip George West, age 35," she rattled off, "graduated from Oxford University with a degree in biology, then from Oxford Medical School. Trained for a few years as a neurosurgeon, then joined the Doctors without Borders program and has been in the Congo pretty much ever since."  
  
"What's his shoe size?" Josh asked sarcastically, rolling his eyes.  
  
"Can't help you there," she shrugged. "Feeling a little jealous that your ex-girlfriend is here with someone else?"  
  
"First of all, where do you get off calling her my ex-girlfriend? I don't recall any break-up," he angrily. "Second of all...."  
  
"You don't have a second of all?" she asked after his long pause.  
  
"Give me time, I'll think of one," he muttered as the President finished his speech. The assembled crowd rose to their feet, engaging him in a standing ovation that seemed to last forever. When the applause finally subsided, Bartlet thanked them and introduced the entertainment for the evening, Harry Connick, Jr., who immediately launched into one of the Bartlets' favorite songs – "The Very Thought of You."  
  
The President led Abbey out onto the dance floor and was followed almost immediately by Zoey and Charlie; Liz and her husband Doug; and Ellie and Curtis. Josh felt the bile rising in his throat at the sight of Curtis wrapping one arm around Ellie's waist. His other hand captured hers, bringing their intertwined fingers between them and Ellie smiled. She smiled brighter than he'd ever seen her smile. Flash bulbs popped incessantly around them – something Josh should have been prepared for. He could almost see the headlines tomorrow – "Ellie Bartlet has a new love"; "Josh Lyman helpless as British doctor woos President's daughter".  
  
"You need a drink," Sam stated plainly, hurtling Josh's thoughts back to reality. He took the vodka martini his best friend offered and downed it.  
  
"Thanks," Josh muttered, watching Ellie laugh as Curtis twirled her.  
  
"If it's any consolation," Sam offered, "he seems really nice. I met him earlier and he's really quite charming. Did you know that his cousin is Queen..."  
  
Josh turned and glared at him. "Sam."  
  
"Yeah," Sam answered. "I'll shut up now."  
  
"Thank you," Josh muttered. "They're comfortable," he added absent- mindedly.  
  
"Huh?" C.J. asked.  
  
"Ellie and Dr. Congo," he answered, pointing at them with his drink. "They look comfortable together. They've danced together before."  
  
C.J. nodded and shrugged. "Probably. They've known each other since birth. Does that bother you?"  
  
"The whole damn thing bothers me, C.J.!" he bellowed. "My girlfriend is out there dancing with a handsome British doctor, the press is swarming all over them, and I'm just standing here."  
  
"What do you want to do, Sparky?" C.J. asked. "Run out onto the dance floor and break them up?"  
  
"Yes!" he shouted.  
  
"Well, don't," she advised. "Not unless you really want to create headlines."  
  
"So, I'm supposed to just stand here?" he demanded, his hands planted firmly on his hips.  
  
"Yes," C.J. answered haughtily. "She engineered this, Josh. She brought Curtis to a very public event, knowing that there is absolutely nothing you'd be able to do about it."  
  
"You seem proud of her," he shot back irritably.  
  
"She's a girl after my own heart, Josh, I have to admit it," C.J. answered with a shrug.  
  
"Well, it's wrong," he spat out.  
  
"Hate that for you," she answered as the song ended. The crowd applauded and Harry launched into a song from his new album. Josh shifted his weight uncomfortably from one foot the other, tugging on his bow tie as he watched Curtis pull Ellie even closer to him, an action she really didn't seem to mind.  
  
"I gotta get out of here," he muttered angrily, heading for the exit. He stepped out into the crisp Washington night, ripping his bow tie from his neck. He ran a hand through his hair and blew out a deep breath.  
  
"J?" He turned to face the familiar voice. An old friend from college, Amy Gardner, was leaning against a column, her black halter gown slightly obscured by her coat. He'd had a meeting with her three weeks ago and she'd thrown a water balloon at him.  
  
"Hi," he said, fighting the grin tugging at his lips. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I was invited," she answered with a smile. "What are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be inside celebrating your victory?"  
  
He surrendered finally to the grin. "I wasn't really feeling like celebrating."  
  
"Neither would I if my girlfriend was inside dancing with some hot guy," she mused.  
  
He wasn't sure what possessed him, but he raised his hand, stopping her. "Ex-girlfriend," he clarified, the words surprising even him.  
  
She grinned. "You wanna dance?"  
  
"With you?" he asked curiously.  
  
"Nah, I was just asking in general, J."  
  
"Oh, okay," he answered, reaching out to take her hand. They stopped just inside the door for Amy to return her coat to Coat Check; then he led them back into the ballroom and onto the dance floor. If Ellie noticed them, she didn't acknowledge it. She was laughing brightly at something Curtis was telling her. He pulled Amy in close, catching a wisp of her perfume when he wrapped his arms around her tightly. "You look beautiful," he told her.  
  
"Thanks," she answered. "I dressed up just for you."  
  
He was taken aback. "Really?"  
  
"No," she replied.  
  
"Amy, you crack me up," he laughed, dipping her in time to the music.  
  
TBC... 


	26. Italian Surprises

Disclaimer – I don't own any of these characters – they are the property of NBC, John Wells and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin.  
  
Rating – PG, for now  
  
Pairings – Josh/Ellie, Ellie/OC  
  
Spoilers – None  
  
Summary – Josh Lyman meets Eleanor Bartlet during the campaign and falls in love with the young, married medical student. For the purposes of my story, Ellie is several years older in this story and very different than she is on the show.  
  
A/N – My obsession with the men of Band of Brothers continues. In my sick and twisted imagination, now that I've killed off Ron Livingston, I need a new hottie to fill his shoes. Dr. West looks bizarrely like Damian Lewis, the very handsome British gentleman who plays Captain Winters in the mini- series.

* * *

"Donna!" Josh bellowed, rounding the corner of his office and striding up beside his assistant's desk. Donna was on the phone and held up a finger to shush him. He frowned, waiting impatiently as she shook the pencil between her fingers, making random notes on a pad of paper.  
  
"Yes, oh Great and Powerful Master, how may I serve you?" she teased once she hung up the phone.  
  
"I hate it when you do that," he answered, blowing out a breath.  
  
"Which is exactly why I do it, Josh," she rolled her eyes. "You have got to learn a thing or two about women."  
  
"I'm trying," he said with a grin. "Which is exactly why I need for you to make me dinner reservations at Gianni's."  
  
"Gianni's?" she asked. "Isn't that Ellie's favorite restaurant? You must really be trying to get out of the doghouse."  
  
"I'm not taking Ellie," he explained, somewhat sheepishly.  
  
"Then who?" she demanded, resting back in her chair and crossing her arms over her chest.  
  
"None of your business." His laughter was stopped immediately by Donna's cold glare.  
  
"Tell me, or make your own damn reservations," she shot back.  
  
"Amy."  
  
"Gardner?" she questioned, her eyes wide.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"You're taking Amy Gardner to Gianni's?" she asked loudly.  
  
"Did you feel the need to announce that to the entire West Wing?" he shot back.  
  
"Why are you taking Amy Gardner to Gianni's?" she demanded, lowering her voice.  
  
"Because I like her," he explained, another goofy grin crossing his lips.  
  
"You like her?" Donna was taken aback. "Are you sure this isn't some sick and twisted attempt to make Ellie jealous and win her back?"  
  
"Okay, it started out that way, I'll give you that," he admitted, sitting down on the edge of her desk. "But, I don't know...Amy's smart and funny and she puts me in my place on a regular basis...."  
  
"We should trade tips," Donna mused.  
  
"And she happens to be gorgeous, if you hadn't noticed."  
  
Donna smiled. "I haven't, but obviously you have."  
  
"I have," he said and Donna didn't miss the far off look in his eyes. "I really like her, Donna."  
  
She sat up and shook her head softly, reaching for the telephone. "I'm glad, Josh."  
  
"Thanks," he answered, slapping his hand on the wall of her cubicle.

* * *

"Hi Andre," Josh greeted the Maitre D' at Gianni's. "I think you have a table for us."  
  
"Of course, Mr. Lyman, right his way," Andre answered, picking up two menus and motioning for Josh and Amy to follow. He placed his hand on the small of her back, leading her through the dining room. He noticed the door to the party room was slightly ajar. "Hey, Andre," he asked the Maitre D', "Who's in the party room?"  
  
Andre's eyes darted to the door. "No one," he answered- much too quickly for Josh's taste.  
  
Josh stopped walking and turned back to the door. "No one?" he questioned with a grin. "That was awfully fast, Andre. Are you sure it's no one? I could almost swear I hear talking in there."  
  
"Mr. Lyman," Andre began, just as Ellie slipped through the door. She stopped and stared at Josh and Amy, her smile immediately fading, replaced by a frown. She and Josh exchanged glares before finally Ellie spoke.  
  
"Josh, Amy," she acknowledged uncomfortably. She was wearing a simple black cocktail dress and diamond stud earrings. Her hair was down and Josh hated to admit it, but she looked beautiful.  
  
"Ellie," Amy answered, breaking the uncomfortable silence by stepping up to hug the younger woman. "How have you been?"  
  
"Good," Ellie stammered slightly, smoothing the front of her dress. "I'm good. I was on my way to the restroom."  
  
"So, where's Curtis?" Josh asked coldly.  
  
Ellie glared at him. "What makes you assume I'm here with Curtis?"  
  
As if on cue, the doctor stepped out of the private dining room. Josh snickered bitterly. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" he asked, grabbing her elbow and not bothering waiting for an answer. He drug Ellie back into the lobby - leaving Amy and Curtis staring at the scene.  
  
"What is wrong with you?" Ellie demanded, ripping her arm out of Josh's grasp.  
  
"What's wrong with me?" he asked incredulously. "What's wrong with you?"  
  
"There's nothing wrong with me, except that I keep running into you," she spat back.  
  
"Well, forgive me for being hungry," he replied irritably. They stood there, staring at each other, both too overcome with anger to speak.  
  
"Ellie," he finally said softly, "I don't want to fight with you."  
  
"It seems to be what we do best," she mused.  
  
"Yeah," he replied, looking past her to Amy, who was standing inside the main dining room with Andre and Curtis, glaring harshly at him. "I should probably get back."  
  
"Josh?" Ellie said quietly. "I need to tell you something."  
  
"Okay," he replied.  
  
"I'm going to the Congo with Curtis."  
  
He took a deep breath and swallowed hard. "Doctors without Borders?"  
  
"Yeah," she answered.  
  
Josh paused for a moment, processing this new information. "Are you in love with him?" Josh demanded.  
  
"No," she answered honestly. "But..."  
  
"But what?" he asked irritably.  
  
"Nothing," she answered quietly. "I'm leaving in three weeks."  
  
"Do you hate me that much that you have to go to another continent to get away from me?" he asked.  
  
"I don't hate you, Josh," she answered, her eyes glimmering with tears. "I don't think I could ever hate you. We just don't..."  
  
"We don't what?" he asked, his tone softening.  
  
"We don't make each other happy, Josh," she explained, taking a quick swipe at her eyes. "We tried, but..."  
  
"Yeah," he replied, clenching his jaw tightly. "I'm gonna get back."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
TBC... 


	27. Huggin', Touchin', Squeezin' Another

Disclaimer – I don't own any of these characters – they are the property of NBC, John Wells and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin.  
  
Rating – PG, for now  
  
Pairings – Josh/Ellie, Ellie/OC  
  
Spoilers – None  
  
Summary – Josh Lyman meets Eleanor Bartlet during the campaign and falls in love with the young, married medical student. For the purposes of my story, Ellie is several years older in this story and very different than she is on the show.  
  
A/N – My obsession with the men of Band of Brothers continues. In my sick and twisted imagination, now that I've killed off Ron Livingston, I need a new hottie to fill his shoes. Dr. West looks bizarrely like Damian Lewis, the very handsome British gentleman who plays Captain Winters in the mini- series.

* * *

Josh's mind raced. He absent-mindedly twirled his pasta around his fork, balancing his head on his free hand. Ellie was leaving – and worse, she was leaving with Dr. Congo. Josh didn't want to be jealous, but he was. He closed his eyes and sighed, opening them to find Amy staring at him.  
  
It just wasn't fair. He finally met a beautiful, vivacious, funny, amazing woman who is every bit as sarcastic as he is – a perfect match, and he couldn't seem to get Eleanor Bartlet off his brain.  
  
"Josh?" Amy asked curiously, observing the far-away look in his eyes.  
  
"Yeah?" he answered distractedly.  
  
"Where are you?"  
  
He looked at her – his eyes heavy with confusion. "Huh?" he responded.  
  
Amy sighed heavily and threw her napkin onto her plate. "Okay," she said, rising quickly from her seat. "I'm out of here. I'll catch you later, J."  
  
Josh rose with her, coming around the table to stop her exit. "Wait, where are you going?"  
  
"I'm leaving, Josh. I really didn't want to have dinner alone tonight."  
  
"You're not alone," he said with a bewildered shake of the head, "I'm right here."  
  
"No, J, I don't know where you are, but it's not here with me," she answered, yanking her arm away from him. "I thought you might be over her, but clearly you're not, so..."  
  
"So, what?" he demanded.  
  
"So, call me when you are," she answered, leaving him standing beside the table.

* * *

Ellie talked excitedly on the way back to her apartment – she asked Curtis questions about the Congo, about the hospital and his staff. He tried to pay attention and answered his questions honestly, but his mind wandered. As much as he wanted Ellie to come with him – he didn't want it to be because she was running away from Josh.  
  
He parked her car outside her apartment and rounded the back bumper to open the door for her. Ellie stepped out and immediately looped her arm through his, leading the way up to her apartment. She opened the door and let them in, still asking questions and listening intently to his answers. He helped her shrug out of her coat, then removed his own, placing both on the coat rack beside the front door. Ellie sauntered into the kitchen, taking down two heavy crystal wine glasses and filling them from a bottle of Chardonnay he'd brought when he picked her up. She handed him a glass and curled up on the couch, pulling her legs up beneath her.  
  
He sat down on the couch beside her and placed a hand on her knee. "Ellie," he said slowly, blowing out a deep breath. "We need to talk."  
  
Ellie eyed him with confusion. "About what, Curt?"  
  
"Josh," he answered plainly. "I don't want...you shouldn't..." he stammered. He turned to face her and took her hands in his. "Ellie, I want you to come with me, God knows I do, but..."  
  
"But what?" she asked, her eyes wide with fear.  
  
Curtis swallowed hard. "I don't want you to come with me because you're running away from Josh," he said quietly.  
  
Ellie pulled her hands from his and leaned back on the couch, crossing her arms over her chest defiantly. "You think that's what this is about?"  
  
"I honestly don't know," he shook his head. "That's why we need to talk about it."  
  
"I've always been interested in your work, Curt," she explained with a frown. "You've always known this is something I wanted to do eventually."  
  
"That's the key word, eventually," he answered. "Why is eventually all of a sudden now?"  
  
"Because I can," she shrugged. "There's nothing keeping me here." She scooted closer to him and Curtis found himself inhaling sharply from her close proximity. "And because of this," she whispered, brushing her lips against his. Curtis suddenly noticed that his fingers were winding through her hair and he found that he was helpless to stop them.  
  
His mind raced along with his heart. It had been six years since he'd kissed a woman – since the day his wife died. "Ellie," he whispered, placing tiny kisses at the corners of her mouth, fighting an overwhelming desire to deepen the kiss. He pulled away from her, closing his eyes so that he wouldn't have to see the hurt in hers. "This can't be about me, either."  
  
Ellie sat back on the couch, dejected. "Why are in the men in my life always trying to tell me what to do?" she bellowed, rising angrily from the couch.  
  
Curtis sighed and rested his elbows on his knees, watching her pace the floor. "Eleanor Rose Bartlet," he answered, "you know good and well I'm not telling you what to do, and I won't listen to you tell me otherwise. This can't be about Josh, it can't be about me, it's got to be about you – what's going to make you happy."  
  
She glared at him, bringing one hand up to her mouth and chewing on a fingernail. He remembered she always did that when she didn't want to admit someone else was right. He swallowed the smirk forming on his lips. "I saw that," she said angrily.  
  
"I'm sorry," he replied.  
  
"No, you're not," she spat back, continuing her pacing.  
  
He stood and crossed over to her, catching her and lacing his hands behind her back. She frowned and crossed her arms over her chest again. "Rosie," he said quietly, "I want you to be happy, and if coming to the Congo will make you happy, I'm all for it. But if staying here and working things out with Josh would make you happier, then I'm all for that too." He kissed her on the forehead and she relaxed in his arms, placing her hands on his chest.  
  
"I've wanted the Congo for a long time, Curt," she answered with damp eyes. "I can make a difference there. I feel like they need me, much more so than my patients here. And you coming here only strengthened that desire. And for the record, Josh and I are over. We were over long before I made this decision."  
  
"Okay," he answered, lifting her chin with his fingertip. "And I want you to know something. One day, when I look into these gorgeous eyes and I see that I'm the only one there, it's going to take an army to stop me from making love to you. Got that?"  
  
Ellie smiled and blushed slightly. "Got it," she whispered. Curtis grinned and tilted his face down to hers, capturing her lips with his own. Ellie sighed against his mouth, granting his lightly probing tongue access. Her arms snaked around his neck, bringing them even closer. The passion between them was nearly unbearable and they broke apart several minutes later, completely breathless.  
  
"I'm going to go," he whispered, touching his forehead to hers.  
  
"I don't want you to," she answered playfully.  
  
He grinned and laughed, tightening his grip on her waist. "Ellie, if I don't leave right now, what little resolve I am clinging to for dear life will suddenly disappear."  
  
She smiled and rolled her eyes. "Damn you and your morals," she teased.  
  
He dipped his head again and kissed her gently. Before he gave himself a chance to give in, he pulled away and made a beeline for his coat, shrugging into it quickly. He turned and opened the front door, glancing back at her to wink and blow her a kiss – then he was gone.

* * *

Josh pounded on the door to Amy's apartment. "Come on!" he begged. "Amy, come on, please let me in."  
  
She threw open the front door and stared at him. "What?"  
  
He grabbed her around the waist, crushing his lips down on hers. He waited until he felt Amy relax slightly in his arms and began running his tongue softly over her lips, requesting entrance. He kissed her deeply and passionately, leaving them both gasping for air when they broke apart.  
  
He pulled away from her and took a step back. "That's what I was thinking about at dinner." He started down the hallway and looked back over his shoulder at her. She was still standing in the doorway with a shocked look on her face. "Just so you know..."  
  
TBC.... 


	28. I'm Movin On

Disclaimer – I don't own any of these characters – they are the property of NBC, John Wells and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin.  
  
Rating – PG, for now  
  
Pairings – Josh/Ellie, Ellie/OC  
  
Spoilers – None  
  
Summary – Josh Lyman meets Eleanor Bartlet during the campaign and falls in love with the young, married medical student. For the purposes of my story, Ellie is several years older in this story and very different than she is on the show.  
  
A/N – The title of this chapter and the lyric contained in it don't belong to me, either. They do belong to songwriters Phillip White and D. Vincent Williams and Lyric Street Records. The song is performed by Rascal Flatts and featured on their self-titled first album.

* * *

Three weeks later, Ellie's going-away party was in full swing by the time Josh and Amy arrived at the Georgetown country club where it was being held. He found Ellie on the dance floor with Charlie; flying through some complicated looking dance moves. Curtis was standing off to the side, nursing a beer and talking animatedly to Sam.  
  
"Josh!" the President bellowed, wrapping Josh, then Amy into a hug. "Good of you to join us. My wife throws quite the party, doesn't she?"  
  
"It looks amazing, Sir," Amy nodded, surveying the room.  
  
"You've been drinking, haven't you?" Josh questioned, holding his boss at arm's length.  
  
"Yeah," Bartlet answered with a sly grin. "Lord West is a terrible influence on me."  
  
"I heard that, old chap," Lord West shot back, resting his elbow on the shorter man's shoulder. "There's absolutely nothing wrong with getting snockered on the day before one's children held off to the African wilderness."  
  
"Or any other day for that matter," the President answered, raising his glass.  
  
"Hear, hear," West answered happily.  
  
Josh shook his head and laughed, leading Amy over to the bar. "White wine and a vodka martini," he told the bartender. Sam and Curtis stepped up behind them, laughing. "Josh, Josh," Sam said between spurts of laughter, "you've got to hear this great story Curtis was just telling me."  
  
"No, Sam," Curtis replied, patting Sam gently on the shoulder, "I don't think Josh wants to hear it."  
  
"Why wouldn't he?" Sam asked curiously.  
  
"Yeah, why wouldn't I?" Josh echoed.  
  
"Well, it's about David, Ellie and I when we were kids," Curtis explained somewhat sheepishly.  
  
"Oh, yeah, well that explains it," Josh answered sarcastically, taking his and Amy's glasses from the bartender. He handed Amy her drink and turned to Curtis again. "So, tell me."  
  
Curtis eyed Josh suspiciously and nodded. "Okay, well, you know Ellie's got this genius IQ, right? Not that she could help it with a doctor and a Noble prize winning economist as parents. Anyway, when we were younger, she wasn't always the brightest light in the room when it came to common sense. David and I used to razz her about it like crazy, we even called her 'Blink' – you know, blinking light bulb?"  
  
"Isn't that funny?" Sam interjected, starting to laugh again.  
  
"You're drunk, Sam," Josh answered with a frown. "Shut up and let him finish the story."  
  
"So," Curtis continued, "one day, our parents let David and I go down to the lake together, but under the condition that we had to take Eleanor with us. Rosie was a real pain then and neither of us was the least bit happy about it, so we thought if we could distract her, she'd forget about going. So, David thought of this riddle he'd heard at school. He told Eleanor that if she could figure it out, she could go with us. If not, we'd go alone."  
  
"What was the riddle?" Amy asked.  
  
"Twenty years ago, a plane was flying at 20,000 feet over Germany. If you recall, Germany at the time was politically divided into West Germany and East Germany. Anyway, during the flight, TWO of the engines failed. The pilot, realizing that the last remaining engine is also failing, decides on a crash landing procedure. Unfortunately the third engine fails before he has time to attempt an emergency landing, and the plane crashes smack in the middle of "no man's land" between East Germany and West Germany. Where would you bury the survivors...in East Germany or West Germany or in "no man's land"?" he rattled off.  
  
"You don't bury survivors," Amy said with a laugh.  
  
Curtis and Sam gave each other a high-five. "See, you get it," Curtis explained. "Ellie spent nearly two days trying to figure that one out."  
  
"How old was she?" Josh questioned.  
  
"Ten, I think," Curtis answered. "She was so mad, she didn't speak for us a week. So, not only did we get rid of her for one day, we got rid of her for seven."  
  
"That's because you're mean," Ellie said loudly over his shoulder, "and horrible, and awful and I can't believe you are still telling that story twenty years later."  
  
Curtis laughed and pulled her into his arms, kissing her on the top of the head. "Yes, love, but keep in mind, that was long before you turned into the little hottie you are today."  
  
"You're still not forgiven," she warned, squeezing him around the waist; then directing her attention to Josh and Amy. "I'm glad you guys decided to come."  
  
"Me too," Amy answered, "Your parents throw a great party."  
  
"Yes, they do," she agreed, looking around. She grabbed Curtis hand and tugged playfully on it as a slow song began playing. "I wanna dance."  
  
"Gentlemen," he nodded to Josh and Sam, "Amy, if you'll excuse us."  
  
Josh watched Curtis lead her onto the dance floor, immediately enveloping her in his arms and swaying in time to the music. Jealousy bubbled inside him and he found himself wondering what Ellie was thinking at that moment.  
  
She rested her head on Curtis's chest, singing along to words that had come to mean so much to her over the past few months:  
  
I've dealt with my ghosts and faced all my demons  
  
Finally content with a past I regret  
  
I've found you find strength in your moments of weakness  
  
For once I'm at peace with myself  
  
I've been burdened with blame, trapped in the past for too long  
  
I'm movin' on  
  
I've lived in this place and I know all the faces  
  
Each one is different but they're always the same  
  
They mean no harm but it's time that I face it  
  
They'll never allow me to change  
  
But I never dreamed home would end up where I don't belong  
  
I'm movin' on  
  
"You've heard this song before," Curtis mused, tightening his grip on her waist as they danced.  
  
She looked up at him and smiled. "I'm living this song, Curt."  
  
I'm movin' on  
  
At last I can see life has been patiently waiting for me  
  
And I know there's no guarantees, but I'm not alone  
  
There comes a time in everyone's life  
  
When all you can see are the years passing by  
  
And I have made up my mind that those days are gone  
  
I sold what I could and packed what I couldn't  
  
Stopped to fill up on my way out of town  
  
I've loved like I should but lived like  
  
I shouldn't  
  
I had to lose everything to find out  
  
Maybe forgiveness will find me somewhere down this road  
  
I'm movin' on  
  
The words hit Josh like a brick. He knew instantly that's what they were both trying desperately to do – move on. They didn't belong together, at least not now, he was confident of that. He loved Eleanor and he probably always would, but his relationship with Amy held so much promise. She was everything he thought he'd always wanted and he didn't want to lose her.  
  
He was angry with Ellie, though. Angry with her for lying him, or at least in his mind, sort of lying. She'd told him at the restaurant that she wasn't in love with Curtis, but watching them dance, Josh knew they were, at the very least, falling in love, if they weren't already there.  
  
"They look good together," Amy whispered.  
  
Josh nodded and swallowed hard. "Yeah," he answered, leading her out onto the dance floor as another song began. "They do."  
  
TBC..... 


	29. Ghosts of the Past, Promises of the Futu...

Disclaimer – I don't own any of these characters – they are the property of NBC, John Wells and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin.  
  
Rating – Okay, yep, here we go....you ready?.....it's been a while.....R!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
Pairings – Josh/Ellie, Ellie/OC  
  
Spoilers – None  
  
Summary – Josh Lyman meets Eleanor Bartlet during the campaign and falls in love with the young, married medical student. For the purposes of my story, Ellie is several years older in this story and very different than she is on the show.

* * *

Ellie climbed into the tiny prop plane that would carry them on their final journey to the Congo and settled into the seat beside Curtis. He knew, that despite all the times she'd flown, she really hated take-off and landing. He took her hand in his as the engines began to hum and pressed a gentle kiss on her skin. She looked up at him and smiled; then closed her eyes and sang quietly to herself as the plane began taxiing down the runway.  
  
Once they were airborne, she opened her eyes and pulled out the file of information Curtis had prepared for her about the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The country was being torn apart by civil war and the situation between the Doctors without Borders program and the rival government factions was tense at best. In anticipation of having to protect the President's middle daughter, the government had sent two Secret Service agents along with them – the head of Ellie's detail, Ben Thompson and another young, unmarried agent who wanted to see the world – Chris Palmer. They were two of the best – highly trained snipers who'd gladly give their life for Eleanor's.  
  
She glanced over at Curtis and watched his even breathing. She envied his gift for sleeping on airplanes, something she'd never mastered. She assumed it was something he'd developed during his childhood, on the many transatlantic flights his family took to the States to visit the Bartlets and the McGarrys. He'd grown into such a handsome and strong man, a far cry from the gangly, obnoxious twerp who, with David, had harassed her throughout childhood. She stifled a laugh, remembering in great detail the abuse she'd suffered at their adolescent hands. They'd even set fire to her closet once, attempting to smoke one of her father's cigars.  
  
"What?" he asked with a sleepy grin, hearing the giggles she was trying to suppress.  
  
"The closet," she admitted slyly, flipping a page in her folder.  
  
"And you get onto me for telling old stories," he groaned, stretching out in the small seat and resting his hand casually on her leg.  
  
"I wasn't telling an old story, I was remembering, there's a difference, Curt," she said with a loving smile.  
  
"A technicality," he clarified, leaning in to kiss her gently.  
  
"Do you think they'd be okay with this?" she asked curiously, laying her hand on top of his and intertwining their fingers.  
  
"David and Marissa?" he asked. She nodded and he smiled. "I think they'd say it was meant to be," he continued.  
  
"Do you miss her?"  
  
"Every day of my life," he answered honestly; then leaned back in his seat. "The cancer took more than her life, Ellie, it took my soul right along with it." He shook his head and sighed. "I didn't think anyone else would ever fill that void."  
  
"And now?" she asked curiously.  
  
He grinned brightly and looked over at her, his blue eyes twinkling. "Now, Marissa's given me my very own angel here on Earth."  
  
"Really?" she asked playfully. "Who?"  
  
Curtis rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Funny."  
  
"I try," she said dramatically.

* * *

Hours later, after introductions had been made and tours of the village and hospital facilities completed, Ellie collapsed onto the bed she'd be sharing with Curtis, exhausted, but happier than she'd been in years. This was going to be a good move for her, she was going to be making a difference in so many lives, and she'd be doing it with a man she'd already fallen head over heels in love with.  
  
He was standing at the foot of the bed, scratching his head and contemplating how he'd quickly lost so much drawer space to her. "Women," she heard him mutter under his breath.  
  
"You love it," she shot back sleepily.  
  
"Well, I love you, so I guess I'll learn to love everything I own being crammed into one drawer," he griped, picking up two handfuls of socks and dumping them into a drawer.  
  
"Curtis?" she asked quietly. He looked up at her, a goofy grin forming on his lips. She beckoned him with her finger and he crawled up on the bed, stretching his body over hers.  
  
"Yes?" he replied, softly pressing kisses down her jaw line.  
  
"Did you just say that you love me?" she asked with a grin.  
  
"No, I think you heard me wrong," he teased, "I'd never say something corny and romantic like that." He trailed his lips down to the soft spot where her neck and shoulders met and Ellie moaned her approval.  
  
Her fingers wound through his hair and she wrapped one of her legs around his. "No, I know what I heard, Doctor West," she answered, using her leverage on his leg to flip him onto his back. She straddled his legs and leaned down, teasing his lips with her tongue.  
  
"So," he argued gently, his hands snaking under her tank top. "What if that's what I said?"  
  
"Well," she said, lifting the hem of his t-shirt and kissing his flat stomach, "I guess I'd be forced to admit that I love you too."  
  
"Well, damn, it's a good thing I didn't say that then," he answered, gently lifting her face to his. He sat up on the bed, cradling her in his arms and kissing her deeply. "I'd hate to be the one who forced you to admit something as horrible as that."  
  
"Indeed," she said breathlessly as he pulled the tank top over her head and discarded it onto the floor.  
  
"You are so beautiful," he marveled, caressing her bare skin with his fingertips. His feather-light touch was driving Ellie mad with desire and she began rocking lightly against his hips. He reached behind her head and removed the ponytail holder from her hair, causing waves of honey curls to spill over her shoulders. His hands were in her hair immediately, bringing her closer to him as they kissed.  
  
She gently pulled away from him, her eyes dark with lust and love and leaned into his ear, whispering, "Make love to me."

* * *

Their bodies rocked together in graceful motion, one giving, one receiving; both enjoying the tempo of their lovemaking. He grasped her wrists over her and head and thrust deep into her womb, filling her completely.  
  
"Josh!" Amy moaned, meeting each of his thrusts with one of her own.  
  
"Amy," he countered, reaching between their bodies to caress her lightly, bringing her over the edge. She chanted his name over and over as the orgasm cascaded through her body. He followed her quickly, collapsing on top of her; then he kissed her deeply and rolled onto his side.  
  
"Wow," she groaned. "I mean, wow."  
  
"Yeah, that was pretty amazing," he answered, resting his arm on her bare stomach and pulling her close to him.  
  
"Pretty amazing?" she asked, tilting her head back to kiss him. "I'm gonna think you're holding out on me, J."  
  
"How 'bout I keep proving to you that I'm not?" he countered with a grin, eliciting a soft laugh from his new lover. "After all, I'm not quite as young as I used to be."  
  
"You're young enough for me, J," she answered, patting his arm.  
  
"I'm really tired," he admitted sheepishly. "You took a lot out of this old man."  
  
"Will you have sex with me again if I let you take a nap?" she asked playfully.  
  
"You better believe it," he answered sleepily. Just before he drifted off, he told her, "I'm falling in love with you Amy Gardner."  
  
"Good," he heard her soft reply.

* * *

Curtis kissed Ellie's bare shoulder, and she sighed happily, intertwining their fingers and spooning closer to him under the white cotton sheet that covered their heated, naked bodies. The hot African sun had set hours ago, and an oil lamp cast a warm, rosy glow over the interior of the hut they shared. "Rosie?" he whispered against her ear.  
  
"Mmm-hmm?" she answered quietly, examining their joined hands as she held them up in front of her.  
  
"I love you."  
  
She smiled and kissed the arm that cradled her beneath her chin. "I love you, too."  
  
"Ellie?" he asked again.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
She felt him take a deep breath and swallow hard. "Will you marry me?" he whispered, his voice cracking with emotion as he tightened his grip on her waist.  
  
She could almost swear she heard David and Marissa celebrating – wherever they were. With that thought in her head, and realizing how much she did love him, Ellie answered, "Yes."  
  
TBC.... 


	30. Diamonds Aren't Always

Disclaimer – I don't own any of these characters – they are the property of NBC, John Wells and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin.  
  
Rating – PG, for now  
  
Pairings – Josh/Ellie, Ellie/OC  
  
Spoilers – None  
  
Summary – Josh Lyman meets Eleanor Bartlet during the campaign and falls in love with the young, married medical student. For the purposes of my story, Ellie is several years older in this story and very different than she is on the show.

* * *

Josh bounced through the hallways of the West Wing, stopping at his assistant's desk. She was on the phone, as usual, making appointments and fending off politicians wanting five minutes of her boss's time. "I'm sorry, Congressman, but Josh is really tied up over the next couple of days." She listened for a moment; then continued. "He wanted me to let you know that he wants to meet with you, but it's going to have to wait until after the Healthcare vote." She made a motion with her hand and rolled her eyes, mouthing "blah, blah, blah". Josh stifled a laugh and looked away until he regained his composure. "No, Congressman, thank you," Donna said, hanging up the phone.  
  
"FINALLY!" she said, exasperated.  
  
"Who was that?" he asked.  
  
"Congressman Wells," she answered, scribbling the date and time of the conversation on a pad of paper she kept on her desk.  
  
"When is he going to understand that I don't give a rat's ass about his initiative to save some ant?"  
  
"It's not just some ant, Joshua," Donna corrected him. "It's a..."  
  
Josh cut her off with a grin. "Donna, I don't care. I don't like ants and I'm not going to pressure the President of the United States to save one."  
  
"I'm not going to argue with you, Josh. I'm not in the mood. I have a date tonight," she told him, standing and heading down the hallway toward the file cabinets.  
  
"Yeah, I do too, remember?"  
  
"Yes, Josh, I remembered. The reservation has been made, the ring has been delivered, the tiramisu has been ordered," she announced, retrieving a file from the drawer and shutting the cabinet. "Your proposal is right on track."  
  
She turned and quickly noticed that he wasn't following her and she turned back to him. "Josh?"  
  
"You don't think I'm rushing into this, do you?" he asked with a bewildered look on his face.  
  
"Oh, God," she moaned. "Here we go again."  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" He followed her down the hallway, not noticing they were heading for the Communications bullpen until they had already arrived at Sam's office.  
  
Donna stood in the doorway and crossed her arms over her chest. "He's doing it again, isn't he?" Sam asked.  
  
Donna nodded and pushed Josh into Sam's office, shutting the door to prevent his escape.   
  
"Josh?" Sam asked.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"It's going to be fine," Sam said, offering his best friend a wide grin. "Amy is a wonderful woman and you will be very lucky to marry her."  
  
"Yeah," Josh answered, flopping down in a chair and leaning on his knees. "But what if...."  
  
"No what if's," Sam demanded. "You love Amy, Amy loves you, and God help us all, you two are great together."  
  
"I'm going to do this," Josh said confidently, standing. "I'm going to ask Amy Gardner to marry me."  
  
"That's the spirit," Sam answered, rising with him. "You need me to write something for you?"  
  
"Nah," Josh answered with a shrug, "she'd see right through that." He opened the door to Sam's office, hanging in the doorway briefly; then turning to his best friend. "Thanks."  
  
"You can thank me by letting me be the best man at the wedding," Sam instructed.  
  
"I wouldn't have anybody else, man," Josh answered with a grin. "Except maybe Donna, but that might be weird."  
  
"For all of us," Sam shot back. "Get out of my office and go propose to your girlfriend."

* * *

Josh fidgeted with anything he could get his hands on that night - his fork, his napkin, Amy's hand. She stared at him all through dinner, obviously wondering what was going on in that head of his. When he hardly ate his dinner, Amy finally asked, "J, what's wrong with you?"  
  
"Nothing," he answered honestly, taking her hand. "Absolutely nothing at all."  
  
The waiter delivered dessert, setting the tiramisu in front of Amy. She glanced down at it; then back up at the waiter. "I'm sorry, I didn't order this."  
  
"I did," Josh corrected her, taking her hand and standing from his chair to come around the table. "Look down."  
  
Amy looked down, finding a two carat platinum diamond ring embedded in the dessert. The color drained out of her face. "Oh God," she sighed.  
  
Josh got down on one knee in front of her. "Oh God," she said again. The tone in her voice was beginning to scare him. He pulled the ring out of the dessert and wiped it off with a napkin; then slipped it on her finger. "Amy," he said quietly. "I love you and I want to marry you."  
  
"Oh God," she repeated, her eyes darting nervously around the dining room. "Josh, what are you doing?" she nearly hissed.  
  
"I'm down on one knee, asking you to be my wife," he answered, "Amy Gardner, will you marry me?"  
  
"You're kidding, right?" her eyes were nearly pleading as she looked at him. "Josh, God, please tell me that you're kidding."  
  
"Amy, I'm not kidding." he answered, taking both of her hands in his own. "This is serious. I want to marry you."   
  
"Josh," she whispered breathlessly, yanking one of her hands away from him and starting to fan herself. "I think I'm going to pass out."  
  
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" he asked curiously as she pushed him away to put her head down by her legs. He patted her on the back, hearing her mutter, "I need some air."  
  
"Okay," he answered, helping her stand and leading her out of the restaurant. She took a deep breath as they stepped outside, leaning against a column for support. "Amy?"  
  
"I can't do this," her voice cracked as she began to speak. "I do love you, but I can't do this, I'm sorry."  
  
"You don't want to marry me?" he asked, his heart plummeting into his stomach. Suddenly, he felt the desire to pass out himself.  
  
"No," she nearly whispered, finally looking up at him with huge tears in her eyes. "Josh, I'm so sorry."  
  
"You're sorry?" he said under his breath. "You're sorry? I ask you to marry me and you're sorry?"  
  
Amy grabbed his arm, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Josh," she said desperately, "please don't do this."  
  
"Do what?" he bellowed, pulling away from her. "Don't yell? Don't raise my voice? You think that will cause me any more embarrassment or heartbreak than the fact that you just said no to my marriage proposal?"  
  
"Josh," she warned, her tone suddenly growing as angry as his.  
  
"Why?" he demanded. "Why won't you marry me? You just said that you love me, so why?"  
  
"I'm just not...we're just not..." she stammered and reached out to grab his arms again.  
  
"We're not what, Ellie?" he shouted.  
  
Amy closed her eyes and took a deep breath, dropping her hands away from him. "You just called me Ellie," she stated with disbelief.  
  
"What?" he demanded, his eyes cold.  
  
"You called me Ellie, Josh," she said again, taking a step away from him. "You want to know why? This is why. You're still in love with her, Josh."  
  
"I am not," he spat back.  
  
"I am always going to be second best to her, aren't I, J?" she asked, tears spilling over her eyes again.  
  
"Don't make this about Ellie, Amy," he yelled. "You don't want to marry me, that's fine, but don't drag her into this."  
  
"I didn't!" she screamed back. "You did." She wrestled the ring off her finger, then grabbed his hand and forced it into his palm. "I knew that first night you kissed me that you were lying to me. You were thinking about her that night, weren't you?"  
  
"Don't tell me what I was thinking, Amy," he argued.  
  
"I ignored it," she continued, tears streaming uncontrollably as they fought outside the restaurant. "I thought that maybe if I waited long enough, you'd finally be over her. It's been seven months, Josh. She's been gone five months. She's engaged to Curtis West. When are you going to get that it's over?"  
  
"I know it's over, Amy. I'm in love with you, I proposed to you - not her," he shot back.  
  
"Only because you never got the chance," she answered bitterly. "I found her ring in your sock drawer last week."  
  
He was stunned by the admission. He'd honestly forgotten the ring was even there. He couldn't even remember what it looked like. "How did you know it wasn't for you?" he asked quietly.  
  
"I didn't," she explained softly, "until I saw the one that's now in your hand. Then I knew. It's only one of the many reasons I can't marry you." She stepped up to him and kissed him gently on the lips. "I do love you, Josh Lyman. Don't you ever doubt that." She touched him gently on the cheek and pulled away. "I never understood how you could love her no matter what, until I fell in love with you. Now I understand."  
  
She left him standing there in front of the restaurant, bewildered and in complete shock. He didn't try to stop her as she hailed a cab and climbed inside. He didn't try to stop the taxi as it pulled away from the curb, carrying Amy out of his life, which he knew would be forever. He watched the lights of the cab until they were no longer visible and ambled inside the restaurant, paying the tab quickly and ignoring the condolences of the wait staff and the Maitre' D. He'd never be able to step foot inside this restaurant again, but that didn't matter. He'd lost the only two women he'd ever loved. He'd lost Ellie because he was stupid, and he'd lost Amy because of Ellie.  
  
TBC.... 


	31. Back on the Couch

Disclaimer – I don't own any of these characters – they are the property of NBC, John Wells and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin.  
  
Rating – PG, for now  
  
Pairings – Josh/Ellie, Ellie/OC  
  
Spoilers – None  
  
Summary – Josh Lyman meets Eleanor Bartlet during the campaign and falls in love with the young, married medical student. For the purposes of my story, Ellie is several years older in this story and very different than she is on the show.

* * *

"Josh?" Aaron McKenzie had been struggling for nearly forty minutes to keep Josh focused. The young man's mind wandered constantly throughout their session and he seemed reluctant to tell the doctor what he was thinking about. He was chewing on a fingernail again, a bad habit he had when he was upset and suppressing his emotions.  
  
"Josh!" he said again, more forcefully. Josh looked over at him with a startled expression. "We were talking about Amy," the doctor reminded him.  
  
"I don't want to talk about Amy," Josh grumbled, abandoning his fingernail and slouching back on the deep burgundy leather sofa.  
  
"Okay, what do you want to talk about?" McKenzie asked gently.  
  
Josh offered with a lop-sided grin. "Mets Spring Training?"   
  
"Nice try."  
  
"Well, since I'm the one paying you, can't I choose the topic?" he continued.  
  
"No," Aaron echoed Josh's smile. "I'm the one with the title, here. I'll choose what we talk about."  
  
Josh frowned. "I have a title too," he shot back.  
  
"How is work these days?"  
  
"Fine."  
  
"Just fine?"  
  
Josh shrugged. "We're doing fine. We've had a few minor setbacks, but so far we're meeting our goals."  
  
"What about Ellie's healthcare initiative?" the doctor asked curiously. "Did that ever pass?"  
  
Josh rolled his eyes and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Is this your cute little way of bringing her into the conversation?"  
  
"Nope, just asking about the bill," McKenzie lied with a smile.  
  
"It's stuck hopelessly in committee."  
  
"Shame," the doctor said with a shake of his head. "Have you heard from her?"  
  
"Who?" Josh feigned ignorance and was met with a cold, hard stare from his therapist. "No," he finally answered. McKenzie wondered if Josh knew he was chewing on his fingernail again.  
  
"How long has she been gone now?"  
  
"Five months, twenty three days, nine hours and five minutes," Josh rattled off. "Give or take, my watch sucks. Donna says it has something to do with my biorhythms or something. I never can find a watch that actually tells time."  
  
"Is she coming home for Zoey's graduation?"  
  
"That's what I hear," Josh answered irritably.  
  
"Is she bringing Curtis with her?"  
  
"Probably," Josh shrugged.  
  
"How do you feel about that?"  
  
"Are you kidding me?" Josh asked with a grin. "I don't think my vocabulary is that big."  
  
"You still love her?" McKenzie inquired.  
  
Josh slowly blew out a deep breath. "That seems to be Amy's take on it."  
  
"I'm more interested in your take," the doctor clarified.  
  
"I don't know," Josh sighed. "Ellie was right, you know, there at the end? We were making each other miserable. I just never thought that would ever happen. I loved her so much and I know she loved me. I guess I just thought that once we were together, everything else would be easy."  
  
"Relationships aren't easy, Josh," the doctor answered kindly.  
  
"No kidding," Josh answered with another eye-roll. "I closed my eyes to how bad things were getting, until it was too late."  
  
"If you could change things, what would you do?"  
  
Josh stood and crossed over to the window. He leaned against the frame and closed his eyes. "I'd keep my damned mouth shut at that briefing for one."  
  
McKenzie smiled. "You two were cooking long before that, Josh."  
  
"Yeah, I know," he sighed. "You know, we've never even really discussed it. How and where things went wrong. It was like she just gave up. And worse, I just let her give up."  
  
"Josh, you know that you will never be able to move on with your life until you've worked this thing out with Ellie," McKenzie advised.  
  
"You say that like you don't think there's any hope for us to get back together," Josh said.  
  
The doctor shook his head. "Whether you get back together or whether you find some closure. I don't have the right answer for that, Josh. But you do have to talk to her." McKenzie glanced down at his own watch. "Time's up, Josh."  
  
"Yeah," he answered, crossing the office to grab his backpack off the floor. He opened the door and was about to step out when the doctor called his name again.  
  
"Find some time to talk to her while she's here," he encouraged.  
  
Josh nodded and shut the door behind him. Ellie didn't want to even see him. How was he going to get her alone to talk to her?  
  
TBC.... 


	32. An Unhappy Reunion

Disclaimer – I don't own any of these characters – they are the property of NBC, John Wells and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin.  
  
Rating – PG, for now  
  
Pairings – Josh/Ellie, Ellie/OC  
  
Spoilers – None  
  
Summary – Josh Lyman meets Eleanor Bartlet during the campaign and falls in love with the young, married medical student. For the purposes of my story, Ellie is several years older in this story and very different than she is on the show.

* * *

"Josh!" Donna stood in the doorway of his office, her face beaming with a wide smile. "She's here."  
  
"Yeah," Josh answered, hoping his casual response would cover the nervous emotions threatening to tear him apart.  
  
Donna waved her hand dramatically in the doorway. "Soooo...let's go already! Everyone else is already out there!"  
  
He rolled his eyes and stood, following his assistant through the West Wing and toward the residence. He stopped just outside the exit to the portico. Zoey came bouncing, literally, past him, skipping happily outside and immediately into her sister's waiting arms. He watched the display of love between the sisters, not bothering to hide the grin forming on his lips. Ellie's hair was longer, cascading past her shoulders in loose curls and onto the fabric of the light blue sleeveless dress she was wearing. Curtis stood beside her, shaking his head with laughter; then turning to embrace Sam. "Traitor," Josh thought bitterly, making his way outside.  
  
"You can't ever leave again," Zoey was telling her as the two continued to embrace. "I hated it."  
  
"I'll see what I can do about that," Ellie responded with a grin. She turned to hug Donna and noticed Josh leaning against the doorframe. She smiled softly at him as she embraced her friend.  
  
Josh smiled back at her, just as the President and First Lady came bounding past. "The Prodigal Daughter returns," Bartlet teased, gathering Ellie into his arms.  
  
"Very funny, Daddy," Ellie shot back, releasing him and turning to embrace her mother.  
  
"Okay, enough of that," Abbey said with a wave of her hand before the tears hit. "Let me see the ring!"  
  
Ellie laughed and held her hand out proudly for the waiting group of women to see. A three-carat, emerald cut, platinum-set diamond sparkled on her hand. "Quite a rock there, Doctor West," Abbey teased Curtis with a finger to his ribs.  
  
"Only the best for my girl, Abbey," he answered, glancing past Abbey to shoot a steely glare at Josh.  
  
Abbey's eyes darted nervously between the two men. Press cameras had recorded every moment of Ellie and Curtis's return and this was certainly not the place for the men to start taking swings at each other. "Well," she said hurriedly, "let's get inside, we've got lots to catch up on."

* * *

"Hi," Ellie whispered, leaning against the doorframe of Josh's office.  
  
He looked up, startled by the sound of her voice. She'd changed clothes since arriving home and was now clad in blue jeans and a vintage green t- shirt. With a freshly scrubbed face, she looked much younger than her nearly thirty-three years. "Hi," he said gently, standing and coming around his desk to face her. She took a step toward him and he took one to her. They both laughed awkwardly before finally embracing.  
  
He closed his eyes as he held her, breathing in the captivating scent her lavender shampoo that had always defined her. She pulled away from him and made a move to sit down in one of his office chairs. He sat facing her in the other visitor's chair.  
  
"So," she began with a smile, "How have you been?"  
  
"Good," he answered quickly. "I've been good. How about you?"  
  
"Fine," she answered brightly. "I love the work I'm doing in the village and..."  
  
"You're going back?" he asked with a frown. The last he'd heard from the President, Ellie and Curtis weren't sure if they'd be returning to the Congo. He'd been hoping he could convince her to stay here...preferably without Curtis.  
  
"Of course, Josh, that's always been the plan," she nodded. "You didn't think we were back for good, did you?"  
  
"I don't know what I thought," he answered weakly. "So, where is Dr. Congo anyway?"  
  
"I really hate it when you call him that," she chided.  
  
"It's just a nickname, Ellie," he replied with a lop-sided grin.  
  
"Well, it's not funny," she said defensively, "What do you have against him anyway?"  
  
"Nothing, I barely know the guy," he shot back. He couldn't help but notice how she absent-mindedly fiddled with her engagement ring. "Surely you don't wear that thing when you're working?"  
  
She glanced down at her hand; then up at him. "No," she answered with a shake of her head. "We actually just bought it. It's not going to be very practical in the middle of the desert, though," she sighed.  
  
His mind flashed to the ring in his sock drawer – her ring. He imagined how the three stones would look on her hand. The center stone was an emerald that had reminded Josh of her eyes. On either side were one-carat diamonds and the entire ring was cast in platinum.  
  
"Josh?" she asked, observing the far-away look in his eyes.  
  
"What?" he asked, his mind barreling back to reality.  
  
"Are you okay?"  
  
"Yeah," he shrugged. "Just dandy."  
  
"He's a wonderful man, Josh."  
  
Josh rolled his eyes and sighed. "I'm sure he is, Ellie," he said bitterly.  
  
"What is wrong with you?" she demanded.  
  
"Nothing," he answered, leaning back in the chair. "You're happy, that's great."  
  
"You don't act like it's great," she accused.  
  
"Well, I could throw you a party if you'd like," he answered sarcastically, "Maybe some cake and balloons. We could make it an engagement party." He stood and moved to the door. "Donna!"  
  
"I know what this is," she said with a shake of her head. "Amy said no to you, so now you're taking it out on me."  
  
"How am I possibly taking it out on you?" he howled just as Donna arrived in the doorway. She took one look at the scene inside and backtracked to her desk.  
  
"You're acting like an ass, you're angry and belligerent..."  
  
"No, I'm me, Ellie," he said, poking himself in the chest. "This is just me."  
  
"This isn't the you that I left," she shot back.  
  
"That's right!" he screeched, pointing at her. "You left. See, you were missing the key word there, Ellie. You left."  
  
"God, I came down here, thinking maybe enough time had passed that we could be friends!" she yelled.  
  
"I don't want you to be my friend," he spat out, immediately regretting the words.  
  
Ellie smiled weakly, fighting back the tears threatening to spill out of her eyes. "Okay," she said quietly, standing from the chair. "I'll be going now."  
  
"Ellie," he sighed, reaching out for her hand as she tried to pass him, "that's not what I meant."  
  
"Oh, I think it is," she answered, wrenching her hand away from his.  
  
"Ellie!" he shouted after her retreating form. He gripped the doorframe with his hands and swallowed a frustrated scream, mentally reviewing how quickly the conversation had gone downhill.  
  
"I don't think that's what Dr. McKenzie meant when he said you needed to talk to her," Donna said quietly, making her way over to him again.  
  
"You think?" he answered sarcastically. He ran his hands over his face and sighed. "I've got to find her."  
  
"She was headed out toward the rose garden," Donna said.  
  
"Thanks," he muttered, breezing past her in search of Ellie.  
  
He found her there, sitting on a bench with her knees pulled up to her chest, sobbing uncontrollably onto the fabric of her jeans. He sat down beside her and swallowed hard. "Ellie," he whispered, placing his hand softly on her back. He leaned in close to her ear. "I'm sorry."  
  
She wiped her eyes with her fingers and rested her head on her knees, facing him. "You should be," she said angrily. "I didn't deserve any of that."  
  
"I know," he said quietly and sighed. "When...when Amy said no...to me," he began explaining, "she said that she couldn't marry me because...I was still in love with you."  
  
Ellie closed her eyes and swallowed another sob. "Are you?" she barely choked out.  
  
"I don't know," he answered honestly. "But holding you in my office a few minutes ago felt so incredibly right."  
  
"I love Curtis," she answered.  
  
"I know," he nodded. "I just need to know if part of you still loves me, too."  
  
"Josh, please don't do this..." she begged.  
  
"Ellie, I have to. You have to. We have to," he replied insistently.  
  
"We make each other miserable," she sobbed.  
  
"Yeah, but it's just a short ride over to the other extreme," he said, taking her right hand in his, "making each other miserably happy."  
  
"There's no such thing as miserably happy," she laughed weakly.  
  
"Okay, whatever then," he answered with a laugh.  
  
"Josh," she whispered. "I love Curtis and I'm going to marry him. But, I would really like us to be friends."  
  
"I meant what I said earlier," he answered, his heart breaking, "I don't want to just be your friend."  
  
"Then, I'm sorry, Josh," she said, pulling her hands away from him. "I can't go down that road with you again."  
  
They both saw movement out of the corners of their eyes and turned to face Curtis, who was standing in the doorway, his expression both angry and pained. Ellie stood quickly and made her way over to him, glancing back at Josh. "I'm sorry," she said again, taking Curtis's hand and leading him back to the Residence.  
  
TBC... 


	33. And the Walls Come Tumbling Down

Disclaimer - After 32 chapters, I still don't own these characters. They are still the property of Josh Wells, NBC and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin.  
  
Rating - PG 13 for some language  
  
Pairings - Josh/Ellie, Ellie/OC  
  
Spoilers - Commencement and 25. Although you will find some of the plot here, I have taken significant liberty with it!  
  
Summary - Josh Lyman meets Eleanor Bartlet during the campaign and falls in love with the young, married medical student. For the purposes of my story, Ellie is several years older in this story and very different than she is on the show.

* * *

Ellie snubbed out a cigarette in an ashtray that was lying on the table in the club "The End of the World", and watched her younger sister Zoey out on the dance floor with her boyfriend, Jean Paul.  
  
"I don't like him," Curtis mused, a frown set on his handsome face.  
  
"You don't like who?" she questioned.  
  
"Jean Paul," he answered, nodding in the direction of the dance floor. "There's just something about him."  
  
"I don't like the way he treats her," Sam said, resting his arm on the back of Ainsley's chair. The two had started dating right after Ellie and Curtis left for the Congo, and Ellie couldn't be happier for her friend. "He's domineering," Sam continued.  
  
"He's an ass," Ainsley tossed in, taking a quick sip of her drink.  
  
"He's French," Ellie responded with a grin. "Doesn't that come with the territory?"  
  
Curtis shot her a mock glare and rolled his eyes. "Speaking as the only other true European in the room, that doesn't come with the territory."  
  
"I didn't say the British were asses, honey," she teased. "Just the French."  
  
"Your father is the President of the United States, Eleanor," he chided. "I'm not sure I'd be broadcasting my dislike of the French any louder if I were you."  
  
"Not all the French," she answered, resting back in her chair, "Just that particular Frenchmen."  
  
The song ended and Zoey made her way over the table, swaying slightly as she walked, a motion not lost on her sister. Zoey leaned down to whisper in Ellie's ear.  
  
"You're drunk," Ellie noted, taking hold of Zoey's arm.  
  
"I'm not," Zoey shot back, reaching down to take a swig of Curtis's beer. "I had a little champagne with Charlie, a couple of drinks here and now I've swiped my brother-in-law's beer. I'm not drunk, Mom."  
  
Ellie rolled her eyes and looked to Curtis for help. "You better watch it anyway, Peanut. We may be doctors, but we don't want to be cleaning up after you all night," he told her.  
  
Ellie captured Zoey's face in her hands and studied her sister's glassy eyes. "Have you taken something?"  
  
"NO!" Zoey exclaimed angrily, wrenching away from her sister's grasp. "Christ, Ellie, this is my party. I'm just having fun!"  
  
Curtis looked Jean Paul over and grabbed the collar of the younger man's jacket. He leaned into his ear and whispered, "If you hurt her, I know a million ways to kill you and make it look like a natural death."  
  
The Frenchman pulled away and straightened his jacket. He scoffed at Curtis's threat and held his hand out to Zoey. "Let's go someplace a little more quiet," he suggested, taking her hand and disappearing behind some gauzy curtains.  
  
"She's on something or he slipped her something or..." Ellie nearly bellowed, fighting the urge to go after them. She grabbed one of Zoey's Secret Service agents by the arm. "Watch her, please, I think she's taken something."  
  
Molly nodded and took up a position in front of the curtain. Curtis rested his hand on Ellie's shoulder, silently encouraging her to sit down. She relented, sitting and taking a long swig of her drink.  
  
"Did she just say that she drank champagne with Charlie?" Curtis wondered aloud.  
  
"She should have stayed with Charlie," Ellie answered fiercely. "Charlie is a good guy, Charlie has her best interest at heart, Charlie is..."  
  
"Ellie!" Sam raised a hand to stop her rant. "I know, we all know."  
  
"Yeah," she answered, reaching for another cigarette. Curtis reached over to light it for her, but not before giving her a disapproving frown. "So, I wonder what's up with that?"  
  
"What?" he asked curiously.  
  
"Drinking champagne with Charlie," she replied.  
  
"Well," Sam replied, "Josh told me that when Charlie and Zoey first started dating they buried a bottle of champagne at the National Arboretum."  
  
"Isn't that, like, nine shades of illegal?" Ellie inquired.  
  
Sam and Ainsley exchanged glances and shrugged. "Regardless," Sam continued with a wave of his hand, "they made plans to dig up the bottle on Zoey's graduation night at ten o'clock."  
  
"So, that's where she was?" Curtis asked.  
  
"Yep," Sam answered with a grin. He titled his beer to Curtis. "And, she kissed him."  
  
Both Ellie and Curtis's eyes widened. "She kissed him?!" they cried in unison.  
  
"That's what Josh said," Sam replied.  
  
"What, was he watching?" she asked curiously. "Why was he there?"  
  
"He didn't watch," Sam defended him, "He turned his head the minute it started and he was there to help Charlie dig up the champagne."  
  
"Oh, well, yeah, it makes perfect sense now," Ellie said sarcastically.  
  
The music slowed and Curtis nodded in the direction of the dance floor. Ellie smiled and he asked, "May I have this dance?"  
  
She placed her hand in his and stood. "This and every other dance," she answered.  
  
"Now that sounds like a plan," he said, kissing her hand and leading her onto the floor. Sam and Ainsley quickly followed. Curtis wrapped Ellie into his arms, swaying them along with the music and kissing her every couple of minutes. She was in heaven, until a pair of strong arms grabbed her, nearly dragging her out of the club.  
  
She glanced back at the person whose hand was clamped fiercely onto her shoulder. "Ben, what the hell are you doing?" she screamed.  
  
"Not now, Ellie," he growled. She continued to glance back, noticing that Chris had hold of Curtis and that Sam and Ainsley were close behind. The Secret Service agents led them outside to a secured area where Josh and Charlie were standing. Other agents and Washington D.C. police were securing the area, evacuating the club and organizing patrons. Ellie stomped over to Josh. "What the hell is going on, Josh?" she demanded angrily. She looked around quickly, her heart racing. "Where's Zoey?"  
  
Charlie swallowed a gasp and turned his face from them. "Josh?" she whispered.  
  
He swallowed hard and took her arm. "Ellie," he said quietly, "Zoey's missing and one of her agents is dead."  
  
Ellie's hand clamped over her mouth in shock and Curtis and Josh both supported her quickly buckling frame. "No," she repeated over and over, "no, this isn't happening."  
  
"Ellie," Curtis demanded, clasping her face in his hands, "Baby, look at me." Chris was hovering over them and Ben was securing a vehicle to transport Ellie and Curtis back to the White House. "Ellie," he said again.  
  
"I need to," she answered, attempting to stand. "I need to help, to find her..."  
  
Ben grasped Ellie around the waist and led her over to the waiting vehicle. "What I need for you to do is to get in this car and get the hell back to White House."  
  
"Ben," she argued.  
  
He shot her a steely glare. "This is not up for debate, Eleanor. Get in goddamn car."  
  
In five years, Ben had never spoken to her like that - not even after Rosslyn - and it terrified her. "Mr. Lyman, you're going too," he continued. Josh nodded weakly and climbed into the front seat of the car. Curtis put his arm around Eleanor, stroking her hair to help calm her sobs. Josh stared straight ahead, unsure of what to say, unable to comfort her. All they knew was that Zoey Bartlet was missing, and he was about to face the President.  
  
TBC.... 


	34. A Comforting Touch and Heroic Act

Disclaimer - I still don't own these characters. They are still the property of Josh Wells, NBC and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin. Wait, hold on, I do own Dr. Curtis West. Yum. I don't own Damian Lewis, though and that is a true crime against humanity. I will have to speak with someone about this.  
  
Rating - R for language. Ellie's a little upset and felt the need to use a really bad word.  
  
Pairings - Josh/Ellie, Ellie/OC  
  
Spoilers - Commencement and 25. Although you will find some of the plot here, I have taken significant liberty with it!  
  
Summary - Josh Lyman meets Eleanor Bartlet during the campaign and falls in love with the young, married medical student. For the purposes of my story, Ellie is several years older in this story and very different than she is on the show.

* * *

Ellie rocked against her legs, pounding out yet another cigarette as she sobbed. She wiped her eyes and quickly lit another, bringing it to her lips and taking a long drag. Smoking was a nasty habit she and her father shared, one that they, for the most part, kept hidden from Abbey. Curtis tolerated her addiction, but barely. She rubbed her throbbing temples with her thumb, wishing the headache away while agonizing over the thousand things she imagined the kidnappers were doing to her sister.  
  
"I don't think you can do that here."  
  
The voice in the dark startled her and she spun around to find Josh in the doorway. "Do what?" she asked through her tears.  
  
"Smoke in the Rose Garden, I don't think it's good for the flowers," he answered, crossing over to the bench where he'd found her two days before after their argument.  
  
"Fuck the flowers," she replied bitterly, taking another long drag of the cigarette.  
  
"Wow," Josh marveled aloud. "Six years I've known you, I've never heard you say that."  
  
"And fuck you too," she answered angrily, standing from the bench. "I'm stuck here in this goddamn place while my baby sister is out there somewhere..." Josh caught her as her knees buckled again, sending them both crashing to the ground. He cradled her as her body was overcome by sobs.  
  
He stroked her hair with his fingers and gently rocked her as she sobbed. "Zoey is one of the strongest young women I know, Ellie. Think about it, with your mom and you and Liz, how could she not be?"  
  
"What if they are hurting her?" Ellie cried, clutching onto him for dear life, "What if they're hurting her, Josh? She's my baby sister, I'm supposed to protect her and they got her because I wasn't paying attention."  
  
He pulled away from her and grasped her face with his hands, shaking his head violently. "No, Ellie, no," he said forcefully, "That is not what happened. That club was crawling with Secret Service agents and they still got her. You did nothing wrong, baby."  
  
"It's my fault," she argued, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face. "I knew something was wrong. I looked in her eyes and I let her go anyway."  
  
"You let her go to a room with her boyfriend, Ellie," he replied gently. "I would have done the same thing."  
  
"She's not your little sister," Ellie shot back angrily, instantly regretting her choice of words when his face fell. "Josh," she whispered, resting her hand on his arm. "I'm so sorry, I know you love her, probably just as much as I do."  
  
He shook his head softly. "There was a time," he explained quietly, reaching up to push a stray slice of hair behind her ear, "when I believed that Zoey would be my little sister legally someday."  
  
"Yeah," she answered weakly, nodding, "me too. She loves you very much, Josh. She has from day one."  
  
He smiled softly and closed his eyes. "I love her, too."  
  
She rested her head on his chest again and his arms found their way around her once more. Josh rested his head on top of Ellie's. They sat quietly, holding one another and silently easing the other's grief.  
  
Josh kissed the top of Ellie's head and closed his eyes. "Ellie," he started slowly, "I wanted to be the one to tell you that there's been a ransom demand."   
  
She didn't move from his strong embrace, but Josh felt her entire body tense up at the news. "Who and what do they want?" she asked quietly.  
  
"It's the Qumari terrorists, just like we thought," he explained gently. "They are demanding the release of three prisoners being held in a maximum security prison in Islamabad and the immediate withdrawal of American troops from Qumar."  
  
Ellie nodded weakly. "Is he going to do it?" she asked.  
  
Josh sighed. "That's the other thing I came to tell you. Your father is invoking the 25th Amendment."  
  
"The what?" He could feel her face contorting into a frown.  
  
"He's temporarily removing himself from office until this situation with Zoey is resolved."  
  
"Situation?" she answered angrily, pulling away from him. "This is not just a situation, Josh!"  
  
"I know," he answered, grasping her wrists and holding them tightly. "I just...I don't know what else to call it."  
  
"Who's taking command?"  
  
"Glenallen Walken," Josh explained.  
  
"Oh that's brilliant, he hates my father."  
  
Josh smiled weakly. "That's unfortunately the way the Constitution was written, and the Speaker was the first one to call your father after the news went public."  
  
"I'm sure," she answered sarcastically. She stood from the ground and dusted her pants off. "I want to be there when he..."  
  
Josh nodded and stood with her. "Okay, I'll tell them." He took her hand in his again. "This is probably a really stupid question considering what just happened, but can you handle all this?"  
  
"Once I'm in there, I'll be fine," she explained. He had no doubts. He'd seen this side of her before - a side she'd inherited from her father. She may be falling apart in private, but in public, she was stoic and in control of her emotions.  
  
"Okay," he said with another nod. "I'll walk you in."  
  
"Josh."  
  
"Curtis is still in with the Secret Service, he'll never know," Josh answered expectantly.  
  
She touched the side of his face gently. "Thank you, Josh, but I'd know."  
  
She turned and left him standing there, helplessly watching her retreat into the Residence. He could still feel her in his arms. He could still smell the lavender from her shampoo lingering in the air. He knew that she belonged with him, and the fact that she'd let him comfort her strengthened his resolve to fight for the woman he loved.

* * *

Ellie stood just to the left of the podium, watching the press conference taking place – announcing her father's removal from office and the swearing in of Glenallen Walken as President. The world was witnessing a monumentous occasion. Never before in history had a President stepped down in this manner. Ellie could have cared less. She watched her father intently, noticing how small and weak he looked standing beside the towering Walken.  
  
Josh was there as well; unconsciously chewing on his bottom lip as he had a habit to do when he was nervous. She hadn't been able to speak to him since the Rose Garden, to thank him for comforting her.  
  
It was such a little thing, allowing him to walk her inside, and somehow she simply couldn't bring herself to do it. Part of her thought that it just didn't seem right under the circumstances. The other part of her knew she didn't want to go down that road again. This is exactly how things had started the first time – Josh comforting her during the loss of her baby. She'd let things get out of hand the first time and she was determined not to make the same mistake again. Curtis was far too precious to allow him to slip through her fingers.  
  
The Press Conference ended suddenly and Jed Bartlet stepped from the podium, wrapped his arm around his daughter's waist, led her into the hallway, away from the prying lenses of the press and immediately collapsed in her arms, sobbing. Ellie was overcome with guilt – realizing that throughout the press conference, she hadn't been thinking about her father, how difficult this must be for him. He was, at this moment more than any other, a hero, and she'd let him down by not fully being there for him. It was another mistake Ellie vowed not to make a second time.  
  
TBC... 


	35. That Which Was Lost

Disclaimer - I still don't own these characters. They are still the property of Josh Wells, NBC and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin. Wait, hold on, I do own Dr. Curtis West. Yum. I don't own Damian Lewis, though and that is a true crime against humanity. I will have to speak with someone about this. I definitely do not own the verbatim recitation of Bartlet's speech at the end of this chapter from "The Dogs of War."  
  
Rating - PG.  
  
Pairings - Josh/Ellie, Ellie/OC  
  
Spoilers – The Dogs of War. Although you will find some of the plot here, I have taken significant liberty with it!  
  
Summary - Josh Lyman meets Eleanor Bartlet during the campaign and falls in love with the young, married medical student. For the purposes of my story, Ellie is several years older in this story and very different than she is on the show.

* * *

The helicopter bucked precariously overhead, fighting the air disturbance caused by the swarm of news helicopters also hovering over the area. Ellie gripped a railing, not feeling entirely secure, even though she was buckled in tightly. The pilot indicated that he would be landing in just a moment, and began lowering the aircraft towards the earth. Ellie glanced out the window – seeing only a small white clapboard house with a red barn, situated on many acres of land. The lights from the ambulances and police cars reminded Ellie of Christmas lights from this far up.  
  
Ellie looked down at the scene, wondering where in the melee Zoey was. Had she been hurt? Or worse, had she been sexually assaulted? Ellie closed her eyes and shook the thought from her head. As an emergency room physician, she'd seen more than her fair share of rape cases, and she knew the physical scars were only the beginning. She said a quick and quiet prayer as the helicopter descended, finally landing about 100 meters away from the house.  
  
Ellie jumped out behind her mother and father, with her sister Liz and Charlie on her heels, following Ron Butterfield over to a group of ambulances. Ellie's heart stopped as she noticed Zoey sitting on the edge of one the vehicles, being treated by a paramedic. Tears flowed immediately and Ellie's heart lightened. Whatever had been done to her – Zoey was alive at least. Her arm was in a sling, and she looked slightly dazed, but otherwise fine. Ellie patiently waited her turn, finally gathering her baby sister into her arms and weeping uncontrollably. "I'm sorry," she whispered.  
  
Zoey pulled away and placed her hand on Ellie's cheek. "Don't you ever say that again," she warns. "This is not now nor will it ever be your fault." She pulled Ellie close again. "I'm the one who is sorry," she said.

* * *

Josh raced through the halls of Walter Reed hospital, following C.J., Sam and Toby on their way to Zoey's hospital room. C.J. threw open the door and stepped inside, relief washing over her face. Josh entered and stepped to the side, quickly taking inventory of the scene inside. Charlie held tight to Zoey's hand and Abbey and Jed had taken up residence on either side of the bed. Ellie was sitting at the foot of the bed with Curtis was standing behind her, holding the hand Ellie had draped over her shoulder. Liz and Doug were on the couch, watching over their family. Leo was standing beside Curtis, keeping a vigilant eye on everyone.  
  
"Hi!" Zoey said, somewhat brightly, enveloping C.J., then Sam in a hug. When Josh reached her, he bent down and kissed her on the temple. "Hey, Bubba," she said quietly, offering up his brotherly nickname. "I'm sorry to put you through hell."  
  
He hugged her tightly, careful of the sling on her arm. "Don't you ever be sorry, Zoey. It just made me realize how much I really care about you."  
  
He glanced quickly over at Ellie, who was watching the display with a soft smile set on her face. He returned the smile and stepped off to the side, allowing Toby access to Zoey.  
  
C.J. turned to Jed, asking quickly, "Not to be the one to talk politics, sir, but..."  
  
"Yeah," Bartlet answered. "We'll do it as soon as possible. I want this whole thing resolved."  
  
"Yes, sir," C.J. responded, "I'll get that set up." She turned to Sam, Josh and Toby. "Boys, we've got work to do."  
  
"Okay," they responded in unison. Josh followed Sam and Toby out the door, but was stopped in the hallway by Ellie's voice. "Josh?"  
  
He spun to face her, finding himself quickly lost in the bright smile on her face. "I just wanted to say thank you," she said quietly.  
  
"For what?" he asked gently.  
  
"Everything," she said assuredly. "For comforting me, for always being there for my family. It means a lot to me."  
  
His heart leapt for joy with her admission and a smile spread across his face. "Well, your welcome," he answered.  
  
She dipped her head shyly and pointed to the door. "I'm gonna get back in there."  
  
"Okay, bye," he said quickly, watching her retreat intently before starting down the hallway and out of the hospital.

* * *

Ellie sat on the couch in Zoey's hospital room, curled up against Curtis's side, watching the coverage of the Press Conference with her family. The Senior Staff flanked the President on either side, with Leo securely to the President's right. The image was meant to assure the American people that the Administration was back in power and that the President's family crisis had come to an end.  
  
"The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away," Bartlet began. "Words I did not fully understand until our daughter was taken away from us three days ago. But now we can rejoice, because that which was lost has been found."  
  
Abbey stood facing the window, her back turned to both her family and the television screen. Ellie noticed this and stood, crossing over to her mother and laying her head on the older woman's shoulder, wrapping her arms securely around Abbey's waist. "Mom?" she asked quietly.  
  
"If he hadn't run for re-election..." Abbey began, letting bitter words trail off without completion.  
  
"You should know better than anyone that we can't live our lives on what ifs," Ellie chided gently.  
  
"What about you?" she asked quietly. "Have the what ifs returned now that you're home?"  
  
Ellie sighed and closed her eyes. "I love Curtis, Mom."  
  
"That's not what I asked you."  
  
"I'm keeping them at bay," she admitted quietly.  
  
"And you should know that we can't live our lives avoiding problems, either," Abbey warned bitterly. She shrugged away from Ellie's embrace.  
  
"Where are you going?" Ellie demanded.  
  
"Coffee," Abbey answered with a wave of her hand, storming out the door and leaving her children and sons-in-law in her wake. Ellie just stood there, leaned against the window ledge, contemplating the new crisis brewing in her family.  
  
TBC... 


	36. Popcorn Promises

Disclaimer - I still don't own these characters. They are still the property of Josh Wells, NBC and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin. Wait, hold on, I do own Dr. Curtis West. Yum. I don't own Damian Lewis, though and that is a true crime against humanity. Anybody got any ideas how I can resolve that little problem???? Just asking!  
  
Rating - PG.  
  
Pairings - Josh/Ellie, Ellie/OC  
  
Spoilers – Seasons 4 and 5 – most anything that relates specifically to Jed and Abbey's marriage being in trouble.  
  
Summary - Josh Lyman meets Eleanor Bartlet during the campaign and falls in love with the young, married medical student. For the purposes of my story, Ellie is several years older in this story and very different than she is on the show.  
  
**A/N – Thanks so much to everyone who has reviewed this fic for me. I often wonder if others of you feel the way I do, when you open your email and see that you have reviews. I feel like its Christmas morning. Or I feel like Sally Field when she accepted her Oscar – You like me (or the story), You really like me (yeah, it's probably the story)!  
**  
A/N 2 – If any of you have seen "Dreamcatcher" and liked it, let me apologize to you right off the bat. I saw it the other day and didn't understand it at all. Maybe it helps to read the book first, I don't know. Anyhow, Damian Lewis is the movie, and I just couldn't resist the idea of Curtis watching Jonesy in a film, since both are Damian.

* * *

Ellie knocked on the door to Josh's office and waited patiently for him to finish his phone conversation. He grinned and motioned for her to sit down. She sat in one of the visitor's chairs, swallowing laughter when she noticed Josh rolling his eyes. He offered her something to drink by pantomiming a drinking motion and Ellie shook her head no.  
  
"No, thank you," he finally said, returning the phone to the cradle. He ran a hand through his hair and stood.  
  
"Tough call?" she asked with a grin.  
  
He blew out a deep breath. "Conference call," he answered. "You know how much I hate those."  
  
"I do," she replied.  
  
He sat down in the seat beside her. "How have you been?" he asked.  
  
"Fine," she answered, "You?"  
  
"Fine," he echoed. "You sure I can't get you something to drink?"  
  
"I'm good, thanks," she replied.  
  
A sly grin spread across his face and he bit back a laugh. "That's probably for the best, I wouldn't want you to have anything to throw at me."  
  
She laughed brightly and rolled her eyes. "Josh, why did you ask to see me?"  
  
"Okay," he answered, settling into the chair. "Leo asked me to talk to you."  
  
"About what?"  
  
"Your parents."  
  
Ellie bristled immediately and swallowed hard. "Why me?"  
  
"I think he's hoping we'll get into a fight and you'll blurt something out," Josh confessed.  
  
She laughed weakly. "He knows us well."  
  
"Yeah," Josh agreed. "You're mom has been in Manchester for a long time."  
  
"She's with Zoey," Ellie argued. "And they've only been there a month."  
  
"It's a little closer to a month and a half," he answered honestly. "And it doesn't look good. He's here; she's there. The press is starting to take notice."  
  
"What do they have?" she asked, her tone already defeated. She was tired of the silence between her parents. She was tired of watching their forty- year marriage crumble under the weight of her father's office.  
  
"Nothing but a bunch of rumors," he admitted. "And we'd really like it to not get any further."  
  
"What do you want me to do?" she demanded.  
  
Josh sat up and looked seriously at her. "There's a state dinner next week. The Canadian Prime Minister and his wife and we want your mother to be there."  
  
"She won't want to leave Zoey," Ellie explained.  
  
"I was hoping you'd agree to go there, to take care of Zoey," he answered. "I have to be here, or I'd go."  
  
"Josh, my family isn't your responsibility," she chided gently.  
  
"Yes," he argued. "They are. And for more reasons than you think."  
  
"Okay," she nearly whispered, "but I'm not making any promises."  
  
"Thanks," he said, standing and offering Ellie his hand. She grasped it and stood, finding herself face to face with him in close proximity. Her eyelashes fluttered as the butterflies began churning in her stomach. If Josh felt the same way, he didn't let on. He stepped away from her and made his way over to his desk.  
  
He grabbed a file and returned his attention to her. "I hate to run off, but I have a thing."  
  
"A thing?" she asked amusedly.  
  
"A meeting, another five years shaved off my life, a chance to take a nap, call it what you want," he answered with a grin. "Come on, I'll walk you out."  
  
He didn't wait for an answer, pressing his hand against the small of her back and leading her down the hallway, back toward the Residence. "Aren't you supposed to be back in Africa by now?" he asked curiously.  
  
"Here we go," she answered, stopping in the hallway and turning to face him. She glanced down at her watch. "You made it a whole fifteen minutes."  
  
"What?" he asked. "I'm just wondering."  
  
"Uh-huh," she replied, starting to walk again. "If you must know, we decided to stay, until Zoey's better."  
  
"Well, I guess that's good for me," he answered with a grin, turning down a different hallway and leaving her standing there alone.  
  
Ellie sighed and shook her head exasperatedly. She climbed the stairs to the Residence, pulling her cell phone out of the pocket on her soft yellow suit jacket. She dialed a familiar number and waited for her mother to answer. "Mom," she said quickly, "we need to talk."

* * *

Ellie climbed over the mountain of pillows and blankets strewn out over the floor in the den of the family's Manchester home, quickly handing Curtis the huge bowl of popcorn before she stumbled. Zoey was happily camped out on the floor, her arm finally out of the sling, shooting insults at the movie the three were currently watching.  
  
"This is the dumbest thing I've ever seen!" she complained with a frown.  
  
"It's Stephen King," Curtis chided gently, throwing a popcorn kernel at her head.  
  
"Doesn't make it good," she shot back, picking the kernel off her t-shirt and throwing it back at him.  
  
"Just watch the movie, Peanut," he teased. "Nobody's paying you to be a movie critic."  
  
"I'm ready to watch 'The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood," she answered.  
  
"NO!" Curtis bellowed with a wave of his hand. "No estrogen until I've had a good dose of testosterone."  
  
"Who invited you anyway?" Zoey argued, crossing her arms over her chest.  
  
"There's an engagement ring on your sister's finger that say I don't have to be invited anymore," he answered dramatically.  
  
"I thought men were supposed to get better with age," she retorted, "not meaner and ornerier."  
  
Curtis didn't answer – instead he launched a pillow right at Zoey's head. She tossed it back at him with a groan and went back to insulting the movie. Curtis turned his attention to his fiancée. "You're terribly quiet," he mentioned, tossing a handful of popcorn into his mouth.  
  
"I'm just thinking how glad I am to finally have things getting back to normal," she answered honestly.  
  
"Normal, as in Zoey and I bickering?" he asked with a grin.  
  
She returned the smile with a laugh. "Among other things."  
  
"Things must be going well at the dinner," Curtis said, his attention slowly returning to the movie. "We haven't had any calls about your parents killing one another."  
  
"Yet," she finished for him, grabbing a handful of popcorn. "It scares me, you know?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"The idea that even after 40 years of marriage, things can still fall apart."  
  
He turned to face her again, his eyes full of concern. "Nothing's ever for certain, Ellie. You and I know that better than anyone. Our lives change with every breath we take."  
  
"I know," she answered weakly.  
  
Curtis reached behind Ellie's head and pulled her body close to his. She curled up to his chest as his strong arms enveloped her. "All I know," he began, pressing his lips onto her hair, "is that I love you, and I am going to fight like hell to keep our marriage strong."  
  
She looked up at him and smiled. "That being said," he continued. "I was thinking that maybe we ought to get married while we're here."  
  
"That would make the parents very happy," she agreed. They both turned their attention to the redhead now resting her chin on her sister's knee. "What are you doing?"  
  
"Keep going," Zoey encouraged. "This is way more interesting than the movie."  
  
Curtis glared at her. "If I put in that yada-yada movie, will you let us talk without you?"  
  
"Probably not," Zoey answered, already handing Curtis the DVD box, "but it's worth a shot."  
  
Curtis rolled his eyes and stood, crossing over to the DVD and ejecting "Dreamcatcher", inserting Zoey's chick-flick instead. He pushed play and handed the remote to her. "Happy now?"  
  
"Very much," she answered with a grin.  
  
Curtis motioned toward the front porch and Ellie stood, taking his hand as he led them outside. He sat down on the wooden swing and she curled up beside him. "So," he said quietly, stroking her hair with his fingertips, "I think we were talking about a wedding."  
  
"Before we were so rudely interrupted," she chimed in.  
  
"Indeed," he answered. "So, how long do you think it would take to plan?"  
  
"Big or small?" she asked curiously.  
  
He shrugged. "I'll leave that up to you."  
  
"Small then," she decided, snuggling closer to him. "I don't want this wedding to turn into some official state function. Just close family and friends."  
  
They swung quietly for a few minutes. Curtis's fingers were still winding through her hair and the simple, intimate motion was quickly putting her to sleep. "Are you going to invite Josh?" he finally asked.  
  
"Huh?" she asked, her voice heavy with the slumber that had nearly overtaken her.  
  
"Sorry," he said sheepishly, "I didn't mean to wake you."  
  
"Did you say something about Josh?" she asked.  
  
"I asked if you were going to invite him to the wedding."  
  
"Oh," she answered, sitting up and stretching slightly. "Uh, yeah, I guess so. Kind of be rude not to. He probably won't show up, though."  
  
"What if he does?" Curtis argued gently.  
  
Ellie shrugged. "I don't know. He's an adult – he probably wouldn't cause too much of a scene. And if he does, Ben will shoot him," she said with a wide grin, eliciting a laugh from Curtis. "Ben's wanted to shoot him on several occasions. He'd love me forever if I actually gave him a reason."  
  
"Has he ever wanted to shoot me?" Curtis asked with a raised eyebrow.  
  
"Never," she answered, leaning in for a soft kiss. "I'll start making phone calls on Monday."  
  
Curtis grinned and pulled her onto his lap. "I like the sound of that," he answered, brushing his lips over hers and kissing her passionately."  
  
TBC.... 


	37. Decisions Amongst the Dust

Disclaimer - I still don't own these characters. They are still the property of Josh Wells, NBC and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin. Wait, hold on, I do own Dr. Curtis West. Yum. I don't own Damian Lewis, though and that is a true crime against humanity. Anybody got any ideas how I can resolve that little problem???? Just asking!  
  
Rating - PG.  
  
Pairings - Josh/Ellie, Ellie/OC  
  
Spoilers – Seasons 4 and 5 – most anything that relates specifically to Jed and Abbey's marriage being in trouble.  
  
Summary - Josh Lyman meets Eleanor Bartlet during the campaign and falls in love with the young, married medical student. For the purposes of my story, Ellie is several years older in this story and very different than she is on the show.  
  
**A/N – This is another very short chapter, but again, it's setting the stage for everything else, and adding anything else to the chapter wouldn't make sense!  
**

* * *

Josh held the soft ivory vellum between his fingers, reading and rereading the text over and over again. "The President and Mrs. Josiah Bartlet request the honor of your presence at the marriage of their daughter..." Hot, angry tears rolled down his cheek and he fought an overwhelming desire to hit something. He spun in his chair, resting his feet on the back part of his desk, staring absently out the window.  
  
It was official and it was in his hands – her wedding invitation. His mind swirled with what ifs, and more importantly, swirled with what shoulds. What should he do now? Should he go find her, profess his love and hope for the best? Should he stay away and let her be happy, even though he knew she'd be happier with him? Should he just finally, once and for all, let her go? The mere thought pained his heart deeply and Josh closed his eyes. He wiped the tears away with the palm of his hand and opened his eyes.  
  
He turned back to his desk and found his assistant staring at him sympathetically from the doorway. She was holding an invitation in her hands as well. "Josh," Donna said, coming into the office and crossing over to him. "I'm so sorry." She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and Josh leaned into her embrace, fighting back the tears teasing his eyes again.  
  
"Thanks," he managed to mutter, finally pulling away from her.  
  
Donna glanced at the invitation in her hand again. "You know, it's still almost two months away, things could still change."  
  
"Yeah," he answered, feigning interest in an open file on his desk. "Donna, I have a lot of work to do."  
  
She sighed, but smiled weakly and stepped out of the office. Josh ran a hand through his hair, then over his face. He stared again at the file on his desk, but found that the words were literally swimming over the page. He stood and grabbed his backpack. He rounded the corner of Donna's cubicle and poked his head inside. "I'm going for a walk," he announced.  
  
She quickly studied at his schedule. "You don't have anything until three," she answered.  
  
He glanced at his watch. That left him with nearly two hours. "Okay," he said, tapping his hand against the wall of her office before taking off toward the exit.  
  
He wandered the streets of Washington, D.C., unsure of his final destination, but knowing he desperately needed to clear his head. He found himself standing in front of the antique bookstore where he'd been purchasing antique books for Donna every Christmas. He pulled open the heavy glass door and stepped inside, inhaling the strangely comforting scent of dusty, aged paper and leather.  
  
"Ah, Mr. Lyman," the owner greeted him, stepping from behind the large desk to extend his hand. "What can I do for you today?"  
  
"Would you mind if I just wandered around, Bill?" Josh asked quietly. "I'm not really looking for anything, I just..."  
  
"I understand," Bill answered with a small nod. "Just yell if you need anything."  
  
"Thanks," Josh muttered, taking off through the aisles. They were clearly marked and clearly labeled; something Josh appreciated every Christmas when he shopped for Donna. It had started off as somewhat of a joke – she wanted skis, he bought her a book about skiing, but now it was a tradition.  
  
He glanced down at his watch again, finding he had a little more than an hour before he had to be back at the West Wing. He strolled first through the non-fiction, looking distractedly for something for Donna, but he found himself drawn to the fiction section. He started with the "A's" and it wasn't long before something caught his attention. He reached up to the top shelf and gingerly pulled down one of the books. He admired the ornate cover and the leather bound spine. He opened the cover, running his fingers over the title. Emma by Jane Austen. It was Eleanor's favorite book.  
  
He recalled a conversation they'd had one night, lying in bed after making love. They were discussing the future – their future. How many children, whether they wanted boys or girls. Eleanor made Josh promise that if they ever had a daughter, they'd name her Emma. He felt an overwhelming longing in his heart for a little girl he'd never met – a little girl with curly auburn hair, her mother's sparkling emerald green eyes and her father's wit and charm. A little girl they would have named Emma.  
  
He closed the cover of the book and walked to the front, laying the book on the counter beside Bill's register. Without a word, Josh paid for the book and Bill wrapped it in tissue paper, resting it gently in a handled bag.  
  
He exited the shop and crossed the street to a small park, sitting down on a bench and taking the book out of the bag. He dug a pen out of his backpack and set to work on writing an inscription for the book. He just wasn't sure of what to say. He knew without a doubt that whatever he said in those few words would change his life forever. He was either going to tell her goodbye or ask her to be his again.  
  
TBC.... 


	38. Interpretative Dreams

Disclaimer - I still don't own these characters. They are still the property of Josh Wells, NBC and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin. Wait, hold on, I do own Dr. Curtis West. Yum. I don't own Damian Lewis, though and that is a true crime against humanity. Anybody got any ideas how I can resolve that little problem???? Just asking!  
  
Rating - PG.  
  
Pairings - Josh/Ellie, Ellie/OC  
  
Spoilers – None  
  
Summary - Josh Lyman meets Eleanor Bartlet during the campaign and falls in love with the young, married medical student. For the purposes of my story, Ellie is several years older in this story and very different than she is on the show.

* * *

_Ellie admired her reflection in the mirror, gazing at the changes to her body. She rubbed her bulging belly with her fingertips, feeling her baby kick at her touch. A pair of strong arms slid around her waist and she sighed, gingerly fingering the wedding ring on her husband's hand while she intertwined their fingers.  
  
"So," he began quietly, teasing the soft skin of her neck with his lips, "do you think we're having a boy or a girl?"  
  
"I think we are having a girl," she announced, finally glancing back at the mirror to their reflections. Josh grinned back at her, resting his chin on her shoulder. "That's good," he answered. "I always wanted a girl."  
  
Ellie turned her attention back to their still intertwined fingers. Her platinum emerald and diamond engagement ring sparkled on her finger. Below it was a plain platinum wedding ring. "You still like it?" he asked curiously.  
  
She smiled lovingly at him. "Of course. It's so appropriate now, with the baby due in May."  
  
"Yeah," he answered with a nod, "I couldn't have planned that any better if I tried."  
  
Ellie frowned and Josh looked concerned. "Baby, you okay?"  
  
"Yeah," she replied with a nod of her own, "I hate to ruin a romantic moment, but I have to go to the bathroom."  
  
Josh laughed merrily and released her from his grasp. "What else is new?" he asked_.  
  
Ellie woke with a start, glancing at the beside clock. 3:11 a.m. She jumped from the bed and ran to the restroom. "What in the hell was that?" she wondered, quickly finishing in the bathroom and heading back into her bedroom. She climbed in, checking to make sure that she hadn't woken up in some alternate reality. Curtis was still sleeping soundly and Ellie sighed.  
  
The dream. A baby. Josh. It didn't make any sense. Why was she dreaming about her ex-boyfriend on the day everyone had received their wedding invitations? And worse, why was she dreaming about having a child with him?  
  
Ellie laid her head on the pillow and curled up beside Curtis. He groaned in his sleep, raising his arm so that hers could slide in around his waist. She kissed his bare shoulder and drifted back to sleep.

* * *

_Josh leaned against the doorframe in a bedroom he didn't recognize, studying Ellie intently as she gazed into a floor-length mirror. She was so beautiful, clad in a long, flowing white dress, her burgeoning belly clearly visible in her reflection. He glanced down at his hands, fingering the white metal that encircled his ring finger.  
  
He stepped up behind her, sliding his arms around her waist. Ellie sighed contentedly and intertwined their left hands. Josh closed his eyes and breathed in the scent of lavender, her scent. His lips trailed over her neck, stopping when he reached her collarbone. "So," he asked quietly, "do you think we're having a boy or a girl?"  
  
"I think we are having a girl," he heard her answer. Josh grinned and rested his head on her shoulder, beaming with pride. "That's good. I've always wanted a girl."  
  
Ellie glanced down at her engagement ring and he was overcome with emotion. He simply couldn't believe that after all this time; she was really wearing his ring. "You still like it?" he wondered aloud.  
  
"Of course," she answered with a smile. "It's so appropriate now, with the baby due in May."  
  
"Yeah," he answered with a nod, "I couldn't have planned that any better if I tried."  
  
Ellie frowned and Josh was instantly concerned. She'd lost her first baby, and he was hesitant about taking any chances. "Baby, you okay?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah," she replied with a nod of her own, "I hate to ruin a romantic moment, but I have to go to the bathroom."  
  
He laughed brightly and released her from his grasp. "What else is new?" he asked_.  
  
Josh sat straight up in bed, instantly and unhappily awake. "What the hell was that?" he asked aloud, rubbing his face with his hands. He glanced over at the clock on the bedside. 3:11 a.m. Great, he thought. He'd never be able to get back to sleep now.  
  
He threw the covers off and climbed out of bed, flipping on the light in the hallway and padding into the kitchen, only half awake. He opened the refrigerator and took out the gallon of milk inside. He took the cap off and took a long swig right from the container. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and rested his arms on the countertop.  
  
Ellie – pregnant with his baby – wearing his ring – married to him. He fingered the edges of her wrapped present nervously; realizing that the book he'd bought for her must have been what had brought the dream on. The book, with the inscription he'd poured over for almost three days, was inside the beautifully wrapped box.  
  
He replaced the milk in the refrigerator and crossed over to the couch, flopping onto it and grabbing the remote off the coffee table. He flipped the television on, switching channels until he found an old movie. Ironically, it too was a favorite of Eleanor's. He rolled his eyes and swallowed a laugh at the thought and settled onto the couch. He shoved a throw pillow under his head and yanked the Mets throw Donna had bought him for Christmas off the back of the couch, covering himself with it.  
  
He yawned, his eyes growing heavier by the minute. He pulled the throw tighter around him and closed his eyes, quickly drifting off to sleep.

* * *

Josh pushed the plunger on his pen in and out repeatedly, his mind wandering back to the dream he'd had the night before. The constant clicking was driving Sam insane and he yanked the pen out of Josh's hand.  
  
"What is wrong with you?" he demanded.  
  
Josh leaned on the table, resting his face in his hands. "I had the weirdest dream last night. It was about Ellie and a baby and we were married."  
  
"You dreamed about Ellie?" Sam asked, starting at Josh over the tops of his glasses.  
  
"Yeah, she was standing in front of this mirror, wearing this beautiful, long white dress and she was really pregnant," he said, his hands animatedly waving around as he spoke.  
  
"And you were married?" Sam inquired.  
  
Josh returned his chin to his palm and sighed. "Yeah."  
  
"How do you know it was to you?" Sam asked honestly.  
  
"Because she was wearing the engagement ring I bought her," Josh answered, reaching for his pen, then spinning it on the table.  
  
"Why do you think you dreamed something like that?" Sam asked curiously.  
  
"I bought her something the other day," Josh admitted somewhat sheepishly. "I know it's stupid and I haven't been able to give it to her yet."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
Josh clicked his pen again and began doodling absent-mindedly on his notebook. "A book. Emma by Jane Austen, it's her favorite," he answered.  
  
"You should give it to her," Sam encouraged.

* * *

Ellie poked at her salad, her mind wandering back to her dream. C.J. took a sip of her soda, noticing how far away Eleanor suddenly seemed.  
  
"What's up?" she asked curiously.  
  
"Huh?" Ellie answered, her thoughts barreling back to reality.  
  
"You okay?"  
  
Ellie shrugged. "Fine, I didn't sleep very well last night."  
  
"Wedding jitters?" C.J. asked, dipping a french fry into her ketchup and popping it into her mouth.  
  
"No," Ellie answered with a confused frown. "Just weird dreams, that's all."  
  
"Do tell," C.J. requested.  
  
Ellie shifted uncomfortably in her seat and poked at her salad again. C.J. stared at her expectantly and Ellie grinned and rolled her eyes. "I dreamed I was married to Josh and we were having a baby," she finally confessed.  
  
"You're kidding me," C.J. replied incredulously.  
  
"I wish. I had a great ring, though," she answered, stabbing at a piece of chicken with her fork. "It was an emerald and two diamonds and it..." C.J. choked on her soda, sputtering and coughing as she tried to evacuate the liquid from her lungs. "C.J., oh my God, are you okay?"  
  
"Fine," C.J. choked out, waving her hand for emphasis, "emeralds and diamonds, huh?"  
  
"Yeah," Ellie answered with a wistful look, "and I had on this long, flowing ivory gown and I was hugely pregnant and..." She suddenly looked down at her salad with a guilty face. "I shouldn't even be talking about this, it's probably bad luck or something."  
  
"Ellie, you and I are friends, and if there's anything you want to tell me.." C.J. let her admonishment trail off.  
  
"C.J., I'm fine," Ellie said assuredly, with a huge smile. "It was just a dream. There's no way you're getting out of being a bridesmaid."  
  
C.J. rolled her eyes and stuck another french fry in her mouth. "I love you, kiddo, but I'm too old to be a bridesmaid."  
  
"You're never too old to be a bridesmaid," Ellie answered, pouring a little bit of ranch dressing on her salad. "Besides, it will be good practice when you're asked to be one for Zoey."  
  
"You're kidding me, right?" C.J. demanded.  
  
"Nope, we already talked about it," Ellie replied with a grin. She pointed her fork at C.J. "Gets better. We agreed that if she does happen to someday marry Charlie, you get to be the Maid of Honor."  
  
"Oh God," C.J. groaned, resting her head in her hands while Ellie laughed hysterically.

* * *

C.J. stormed into Sam's office and slammed the door. "She dreamed the ring," C.J. announced, suddenly pacing the floor.  
  
"I'm fine, how are you? I had a nice lunch with Josh. Did you have a nice lunch with Eleanor?" Sam rattled off sarcastically.  
  
"We don't have time for niceties, Sammy," C.J. said with a flourish. "She dreamed the ring."  
  
"What ring?" Sam asked, still half-reading the article on his computer screen.  
  
"Her ring!" C.J. bellowed, her hands flying, "the ring that Josh bought her!"  
  
"Her engagement ring," he stated for clarification.  
  
"YES! And...she dreamed that they were married and having a baby," C.J. continued.  
  
"That's strange," Sam said with a frown.  
  
"Why?" C.J. demanded.  
  
Sam crossed his arms on his desk and tapped his finger on the wood. "What was she wearing?" he asked curiously, the article now all but forgotten.  
  
"Well, Mr. Blackwell," C.J. said sarcastically, "if you must know, she said she was wearing a full-length flowing ivory gown."  
  
"Standing in front of a mirror?"  
  
C J. stopped pacing and stared at him. "How did you know that?" she roared. "How could you possibly have known that?"  
  
Sam stood and rounded his desk, perching himself precariously on the edge. "Josh had the same dream. Ellie standing in front of a mirror, very pregnant, Josh walks up behind her and asks..."  
  
"Do you think we're having a boy or a girl..." C.J. continued, "OH MY GOD!"  
  
"They had the same dream," Sam stated again. "Except Josh said the dress was white."  
  
C.J. collapsed on the couch. "They had the exact same dream," she repeated.  
  
"Yeah," he answered.  
  
C.J. tapped her foot on the floor. "What do you think the chances of them having the exact same dream on the exact same night are?"  
  
Sam shrugged. "Pretty slim to none."  
  
"What do we do now?" she asked.  
  
"Nothing," Sam answered. "We can't tell them, it would only make things worse."  
  
"Forgive me for being the sentimental, romantic fool," C.J. replied, "but Sam, these kinds of things don't just happen for no reason whatsoever."  
  
"What's your point?" Sam asked curiously.  
  
"My point? My point is that we should do something. Get them in the same room, see if there's any sparks left."  
  
"And if there are?" he inquired.  
  
"I haven't thought that far ahead yet," she admitted.  
  
Sam stood from the desk and sat back down in his office chair, returning his attention to the computer screen. "Well, when you have a good plan, let me know."  
  
C.J. brought her hand up to her mouth and chewed on her thumbnail. "So, you're in when I get a good plan?"  
  
"No," he answered, "but I want to hear about it."  
  
"Ugh," she replied with a groan and a wave of her hand, "I'm out of here."  
  
TBC... 


	39. Inscriptions, Kisses and Punches

Disclaimer - I still don't own these characters. They are still the property of Josh Wells, NBC and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin. Wait, hold on, I do own Dr. Curtis West. Yum. I don't own Damian Lewis, though and that is a true crime against humanity. Anybody got any ideas how I can resolve that little problem???? Just asking!  
  
Rating - PG.  
  
Pairings - Josh/Ellie, Ellie/OC  
  
Spoilers – None  
  
Summary - Josh Lyman meets Eleanor Bartlet during the campaign and falls in love with the young, married medical student. For the purposes of my story, Ellie is several years older in this story and very different than she is on the show.

* * *

Ellie bounded up the stairs to the small apartment she'd rented with Curtis. She was running late for her birthday dinner with her family and she took the stairs two at a time. She'd nearly gotten her key into the lock when she noticed a small but beautifully wrapped present leaning against the doorframe. Knowing that Curtis was inside and knowing it couldn't possibly be from him, she picked up the gift and sat down on the steps. She gingerly slid the heavy gold ribbon off; then ripped into the ivory wrapping paper. She lifted the lid off the box and gently pushed the tissue paper away.  
  
She gasped as she finally caught a view of the gift inside and she lifted the antique book from the box, her breath catching again at the title. Emma. She knew there was only one person who would buy her this book. She opened the cover and ran her finger first over Josh's scrawled signature; then read the inscription:  
  
Ellie,  
  
One night we laid in bed, dreaming about our future - two children, two dogs, two houses – one in Connecticut, one in D.C. The promise of what would come overwhelmed us both that night and I almost asked you to marry me then. But in my quest to make everything perfect for you, I waited. I guess I waited too long.  
  
I find that my quest now is to make you happy, and I will do whatever it takes to make that happen. If you drop this book right now and coming running into my arms, you would make me the happiest man in the world. But, if you hold it to your heart, treasuring the promise of what might have been, and choose to make a life with Curtis, I'll understand. You know me too well to think that I'll be happy about it, but this time, I am putting your happiness ahead of my own.  
  
You will always be the great love of my life and I will spend the rest of it trying to make you happy, whether as your lover or your friend.  
  
All my love now and forever, Joshua  
  
Ellie closed the cover and rested her head on her knees. Her body was swimming with emotion and the sheer intensity was making her dizzy. Why now, she wondered, clutching the book to her chest, fighting her racing heart and the tears cascading down her cheeks. She wiped the tears away and stood, picking up all the wrapping paper and the bow, shoving them into her gym bag; then gently placing the book on top of her clothes. She checked her reflection in a small mirror she kept inside her bag, making sure Curtis wouldn't be able to tell she'd been crying. Happy with what she saw, she inserted her key in the lock again and headed into the apartment to get ready for dinner.

* * *

"SURPRISE!" Curtis swung the door to the ballroom in her parent's country club open to reveal a large assembly of friends and family. Ellie laughed, happily embracing her parents and siblings; then shook her head and rolled her eyes exasperatedly at Curtis, who just shrugged and grinned.  
  
"A surprise party?" she asked, stretching to kiss him. "Don't you think I'm a little old for a surprise party?"  
  
"Thirty-three is not old," he argued. "You're a mere pup in the grand scheme of things."  
  
She turned away from him to hug Donna and caught Josh's eye. He raised his glass to her and she smiled, embracing her friend warmly. He casually made his way over to them; then pressed a chaste kiss to Ellie's cheek. Her stomach was doing flip-flops as she grabbed his arm when he tried to make a getaway. "I need to talk to you," she nearly hissed.  
  
"Whenever you can get away," he answered, gently stepping away from her grasp.  
  
The band began playing and Curtis took Ellie's hand, immediately leading her out onto the dance floor. It would be almost three hours later before she'd be able to talk to Josh.  
  
Curtis stepped away to use the restroom and Ellie caught Josh's attention, motioning with a nod of her head for him to follow her out onto the terrace. He grabbed two glasses of champagne off a passing tray and stepped out into the cool summer night. He handed one of the glasses to her and gazed out over the Washington skyline.  
  
"Josh," she said quietly, licking her lips nervously.  
  
"Did you like it?" he asked indifferently.  
  
Ellie tried to swallow away the sudden constriction in her throat. Her heart was racing and she thought she might be sick at any moment. "I loved it," she managed to choke out.  
  
"I meant every word of what I said," he answered coolly, taking a long sip of his champagne.  
  
Why is he so damned calm, her brain demanded to know. She'd never felt so nervous in all her life. Her heart was racing and the dizzy feeling was quickly returning. Her hands were shaking wildly as she reached out to touch his shoulder. He turned to face her and suddenly their lips were only inches apart. Josh slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her into an embrace. "You're shaking," he commented, securing his arms even tighter around her.  
  
"I've never been so terrified in all my life," she admitted, resting her head on his chest.  
  
"Of what?" he asked gently.  
  
"This," she answered, pulling away from him slightly, but staying within the confines of his arms. Her breathing was growing more erratic by the minute and Josh was honestly afraid that if he didn't do something quick, she'd pass out. He brought his lips slowly down over hers and he heard her whimper slightly as he gently increased the pressure. His hands wound through her hair and she parted her lips, taking the initiative to deepen an already overwhelmingly passionate kiss.  
  
They stumbled back against a brick wall – their tongues teasing, dancing, remembering. Ellie began shaking wildly again and Josh released her, startled. He traced the side of her face with his finger. "Ellie," he whispered, "baby?"  
  
"I'm going to be sick," she said, turning quickly from him and retching into the hedges below them. He was shocked, but automatically pulled her hair away from her face and rubbed circles onto her back, trying to stop her sobbing.  
  
She collapsed finally into a heap on the ground, sweating and crying, hanging her head between her legs. Josh knelt in front of her, brushing her hair away from her face again. "I've never had that effect on a woman before," he teased.  
  
She was still crying when she looked up at him. "I can't do this," she whispered, her eyes pleading, "I just can't do this again."  
  
"Do what?" he demanded lovingly. "I love you, and from what I can tell, I think you might love me too."  
  
Ellie's eyes rolled back and her head drooped between her knees again. "Josh, please," she sobbed. "I can't ruin another relationship like this."  
  
She looked up at him again and grasped his face with her hands. "He loves me so much and I love him and I just can't..." Josh turned his face slightly and kissed her hand gently. The simple action sent chills through her body.  
  
"Love me too," he finished the sentence for her. Ellie nodded weakly. "Okay," he sighed. He stood and offered his hand to help her stand. Ellie stood, but rested weakly against the wall, burying her face in her hands as she began to sob again. "Do you want to go home?" Ellie shook her head yes and Josh nodded. "Okay, I'm going to go get your mom and tell her you aren't feeling well," he said. He pulled her into another embrace and kissed the top of her head. "I love you, Ellie and I always will," he said quietly.

* * *

Curtis stalked through the crowd of people at Ellie's birthday party, searching for Josh. He found him, leaning against the wall talking to Sam. "I want to talk to you," he demanded, pointing to the terrace.  
  
Josh eyed Sam, who shrugged nervously. He handed his beer to his friend and followed a steaming Curtis outside.  
  
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Curtis roared the minute the door closed behind Josh. "Do you have some insane desire to make her miserable?"  
  
"What are you talking about?" Josh asked, his casual tone belying the apprehensiveness he suddenly felt.  
  
Curtis's hands planted on his hips and he shook his head angrily. "I found the book, when we took her home. I saw the inscription. You tried being together, Josh, it didn't work."  
  
"Maybe it would work this time," he shot back.  
  
"There's not going to be a this time," Curtis shouted. "I'm taking Ellie to England until the wedding."  
  
"You can't do that!" Josh bellowed, taking a step toward Curtis, but unsure of what he was going to do. "You can't take her away..." His voice trailed off as the realization hit him. She'd said yes to going to England.  
  
"That's right," Curtis smirked, "I asked her and she said yes. You can't do this to her, Josh. She's been through enough."  
  
"I love her," he answered weakly.  
  
"So do I," Curtis replied, "And I'm the one she said yes to, not you." Curtis took a step toward the door and Josh grabbed his arm.  
  
"Curtis, please don't..."  
  
Curtis grabbed Josh's collar and slammed him into the brick wall behind him. "She's my fiancée," he hissed.  
  
"I love her," Josh said, anger now glowing in his eyes. Even he couldn't believe what came out of his mouth next. "I kissed her earlier, right here, and I'm pretty sure she still loves me too."  
  
He could see the fist flying at his face out of his right eye. When it connected, the fury in Josh's blood boiled over and he fought back, punching Curtis in the stomach. The taller man bent over in pain, but quickly took another swing at Josh. They were fighting on the ground, wrestling like schoolboys before Sam, Leo and Toby finally arrived to break them up.  
  
"Enough!" Leo demanded, yanking Curtis up by the shirt collar and pushing him into Sam's grasp. He turned his attention to Josh, who was being held back by Toby. Josh's lip was bloody and his right eye was slowly swelling shut. "What is wrong with the two of you?" he asked exasperatedly.  
  
"He kissed my fiancée!" Curtis howled, pointing at Josh with a bloodied finger.  
  
"Josh?" Leo asked, disbelieving the accusation.  
  
Josh smirked. "And I'd do it again in a heartbeat." Curtis launched at Josh again, but Leo and Sam managed to hang onto him while Toby dragged Josh further out of Curtis's grasp.  
  
"That's enough!" Leo yelled again. "Toby, take Josh inside and get him cleaned up. Sam, once they are gone, you're going to take Curtis to the bathroom on the other side of the club and clean him up. I'm going to arrange for two separate cars to pick you idiots up. Do you know there are press outside?"  
  
"No," Josh answered, "I didn't know that."  
  
"Maybe you two should think about who you are and where you are before you start throwing punches again," Leo chastised.  
  
"Sorry," they muttered in unison.  
  
"It's not me you should be apologizing to," Leo answered, pointing back into the party where the Bartlets were now staring at them. Both men hung their head as their assigned handler led them inside.  
  
The President sauntered onto the terrace and leaned against the railing. "Well," he sighed, "we knew that was going to happen someday."  
  
"Yeah," Leo answered.  
  
"Our little girl has quite the mess on her hands, doesn't she?"  
  
"I don't think I've ever wanted to strangle her more than I do right now," Leo grumbled, leaning against the railing beside Jed.  
  
"It's not totally her fault, you know," Jed defended, "She's tried to do the right thing."  
  
"By kissing Josh?" Leo asked sarcastically.  
  
"Yeah, well, she blew that," he answered.  
  
Leo sighed and glanced in at the party. Luckily, it didn't seem that too many of the partygoers were bothered by the terrace fight. "I'm going to check on the prize fighters," he said.  
  
Bartlet didn't answer. He focused on the Washington skyline, lit from above by a full moon. He shook his head at the irony and pulled a cigarette out of his pocket, lighting it quickly. He said a silent prayer for his daughter, praying that she would make the right decision, whatever that was.  
  
TBC.... 


	40. What Was Old is New Again

Disclaimer - I still don't own these characters. They are still the property of Josh Wells, NBC and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin.  
  
Rating – R, R and a little more R.  
  
Pairings - Josh/Ellie, Ellie/OC  
  
Spoilers – None  
  
Summary - Josh Lyman meets Eleanor Bartlet during the campaign and falls in love with the young, married medical student. For the purposes of my story, Ellie is several years older in this story and very different than she is on the show.  
  
**A/N - It's time to start wrapping up my little story. Hope you all have enjoyed it up until now and special thanks to all of the wonderful souls who have taken time out of their day to review!! You guys make my day!! Please keep reading though; the drama isn't over quite yet. There are still a few tiny little bumps in the road ahead!!  
**

* * *

Ellie knocked furiously on Josh's front door, waiting impatiently for him to answer. When he did, there was an ice pack covering half his face. "Oh my God," she exclaimed, pushing her way through the door and gently lifting the pack away. She examined the bruise and mashed as softly as possibly around the orbital bone while he winced in pain. "I don't think it's broken," she announced.  
  
Josh grinned weakly, despite a swollen lip. "Is that why you came over here? To tell me that my eyeball bone isn't broken?"  
  
Ellie dropped her purse on his entry table and led him over to the couch. She ordered him to sit down. "Where else did he hit you?" she demanded.  
  
"Face and ribs," he answered honestly.  
  
Ellie sighed and shook her head. "Take your shirt off."  
  
"What?" he asked with a laugh.  
  
Ellie's hands went straight to her hips and she glared at him. "Take it off, Josh."  
  
"I don't even get a little foreplay?" he whined playfully.  
  
"Joshua, I am going to wipe that smirk off your face if you don't take that shirt off right now," she answered irritably.  
  
He grinned and shrugged quickly out of his shirt. Ellie knelt beside him and pressed her hands firmly against his ribs. "Does this hurt?" she asked quietly.  
  
"No," he answered, "kind of tickles though."  
  
"Are you trying to be a smart ass?"  
  
"No," he replied, "it just sort of happens that way."  
  
She finished her inspection and rocked back on her heels, standing. She offered him her hand to help him stand as well. "I don't think anything's broken," she said quickly, then slapped him on the bare chest.  
  
"OW!" he howled, rubbing the spot where her hand had connected. "What was that for?"  
  
"What the hell were you thinking?" she demanded angrily.  
  
"He was pissing me off!" he answered. "All that she's my fiancée, I'm taking her to England so you can't see her crap."  
  
"I agreed to go, you know," she replied, crossing her arms over her chest.  
  
"Yeah, I know, and we are seriously going to fight about that," he said with a frown. "But first of all, why are you here checking on me? Shouldn't you be with Curtis?"  
  
"Do you want me to leave?" she asked amusedly.  
  
"No," he answered, "of course not. I just thought you'd be patching him up."  
  
Ellie shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest. "I've already done that. I wanted to see first hand the results of two highly educated men beating the snot out of..." She trailed off when she noticed that Josh was staring at her. "Josh?"  
  
He pointed to her left hand. "You're not wearing your engagement ring."  
  
Ellie shifted uncomfortably and shoved her hands into her jeans pockets. "Make sure you don't take any ibuprofen," she said nervously, "Tylenol is better, doesn't thin the blood."  
  
She made a move toward her purse and Josh grabbed her arm, spinning her around to face him. "Ellie," he said quietly, "why aren't you wearing your engagement ring?"  
  
"I just forgot it," she lied. He saw right through the fib and swallowed the grin threatening to erupt on his face.  
  
"You forgot it, huh?"  
  
"That's right," she said defensively, fighting the emotions coursing through her body as he took a step toward her. He grasped the sides of her face and leaned down, pressing his lips hungrily on hers. The kiss deepened quickly and they soon found themselves stumbling back towards Josh's bedroom. He lifted her t-shirt over her head and quickly discarded it on the floor, bringing his lips down to the swells of her breasts. His hands made fast work of her bra and he tossed it onto the floor beside the t-shirt.  
  
Ellie fumbled with the button and zipper on his pants, and he lifted her buttocks, wrapping her legs around his waist. He pressed her tightly against the wall and kissed her. He finally pulled away slightly, gazing into her eyes. "Do you want this half as much as I do?" he asked.  
  
She grinned and kissed the sides of his swollen lip. "Maybe a fourth as much," she teased.  
  
"Good enough for me," he answered, capturing a taut pink nipple in his mouth.  
  
"Josh," she moaned as he began to suck lightly. She squirmed against him and ran her fingers over his back. He brought a hand between them and caressed her through the fabric of her jeans. "I want you," she whispered in his ear.  
  
"Is that all?" he asked curiously, hoping she might admit that she loved him.  
  
She traced the side of his face with her fingertip. "Let's start with that," she responded with a grin.  
  
He carried her into the bedroom, kissing her as he maneuvered them closer to the bed. He laid her gently in the center, stretching his body out over hers. He unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans, pushing them quickly past her hips. He thrust the tiny fabric of her thong aside, dipping his fingers into her wetness.  
  
"Josh," she groaned deeply, desperately tugging at the zipper on his khaki pants as his fingers inside her mimicked the movements of his tongue in her mouth. She finally pushed the pants and the boxers down, enveloping his length with her hand. Josh's breath caught in his throat and he gasped into her mouth. "I want to feel you inside of me," she begged, helping him completely shed his garments.  
  
He nudged her legs further apart with his knee and aligned their bodies. He dipped his head, kissing her deeply as he thrust hard and fast into her. Ellie cried out in both pain and pleasure, scratching his back with her fingernails as he pounded himself into her womb. "Oh my God," she managed to choke out, reaching up to grab his head and bring it closer to hers. She kissed him deeply as he continued to stroke her with an almost brutal intensity. There was nothing intimate about their lovemaking. It was pure, intense passion overtaking them.  
  
He pulled her legs over his shoulders and lifted her buttocks slightly with his hands. He hit her spot with each thrust and soon Ellie was writhing beneath him, crying out his name softly. She could feel him throbbing inside her, his seed begging for release. He thrust harder and faster, and her inner muscles clamped down on him as she came again, sending him finally crashing over the edge.  
  
He collapsed on top of her, resting his head on her heaving chest. She shook slightly beneath him and ran a hand over his sweaty forehead. "Josh," she whispered, "that was..."  
  
"Incredible, amazing, awesome, unbelievable," he finished for her, pressing light kisses over her chest. "I was there. I'm actually still there," he teased, motioning toward their still joined bodies.  
  
"I can still feel you," she whispered coyly, slowly rocking her hips against his. Ellie smirked when he groaned and his eyes rolled back into his head.  
  
"I'm an old man, Ellie," he answered, already moving slowly inside her again.  
  
"Could have fooled me," she replied coyly, running her hands down his sides and arching her back toward him. "This time, make love to me," she ordered with a grin.

* * *

"How did he take it?" Josh asked hours later. They snuggled beneath Josh's bedding, spooning their bodies together.  
  
"Uh," she frowned and picked at a loose thread on her pillowcase, "Not well, but I got the idea that he sort of saw it coming."  
  
"Why'd you do it?" he asked curiously.  
  
She turned over and snuggled against his chest. "Because I wasn't one hundred percent happy," she explained softly. "There's always been this huge what if hanging over my head. What if we hadn't both been so stubborn? What if we'd done a little give and take instead of fight all the time? In Africa, I was fine. But the minute I got here and saw you again, all these feelings came back and I..."  
  
Josh grinned against her hair. "Well, it took you long enough to admit it," he teased.  
  
"I could leave, you know," she threatened, scooting away from him slightly.  
  
Josh grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back to him. "I don't think so," he answered, dipping his head to kiss her softly. Ellie sighed contentedly against his lips. "You're not going anywhere ever again," he continued.  
  
"Is that a threat, Mr. Lyman?" she asked coyly.  
  
Josh rolled Ellie onto her back and nudged her legs apart with his knees. "It's a promise," he answered, kissing her deeply again.  
  
TBC.... 


	41. A Winding Road to Happiness

* * *

Disclaimer - I still don't own these characters. They are still the property of Josh Wells, NBC and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin. Wait, hold on, I do own Dr. Curtis West. Yum. I don't own Damian Lewis, though and that is a true crime against humanity. Anybody got any ideas how I can resolve that little problem???? Just asking!  
  
Rating - PG.  
  
Pairings - Josh/Ellie, Ellie/OC  
  
Spoilers – None  
  
Summary - Josh Lyman meets Eleanor Bartlet during the campaign and falls in love with the young, married medical student. For the purposes of my story, Ellie is several years older in this story and very different than she is on the show.

* * *

Josh yawned, tired from a long day of intense meetings. He rounded the corner near his office, running straight into Donna. "You know," he teased, holding on to her arms to right them both, "if you wanted to feel me up you could just ask."  
  
Donna rolled her eyes and grabbed his shoulders, pointing him toward his office. "Ellie's in there," she replied. "And something is wrong. She came in a almost an hour ago, and she's been in there, waiting for you, crying her eyes out, refusing to tell me what's wrong. I'm one of her best friends, Josh, and she won't tell me what's wrong." Donna looked on the verge of tears herself and Josh patted her shoulder.  
  
"Okay," he breathed out, "I'll take care of it." He walked toward his office and hung in the doorway for a moment, watching her. Ellie was inside nervously pacing the floor and chewing on her thumbnail. "Hey, Baby," he said brightly, stepping inside and kissing her on the cheek. "What brings you by?"  
  
"I need to talk to you," she said quietly, resuming her pacing.  
  
"Okay," he answered, perching himself on the edge of his desk. He watched her stalk back and forth across his carpet. "Honey, whatever it is, just tell me."  
  
She stopped pacing and collapsed in the guest chair closest to him. "I'm pregnant," she said quietly.  
  
Josh's eyes were as wide as saucers and he was instantly on his knees in front of her, pressing his hand to her stomach, beaming widely. He swallowed hard and marveled at what she'd just said. "You're pregnant?" he repeated, gazing up at her. The love in his eyes overwhelmed her and she began to cry.  
  
The crying quickly deteriorated into sobbing and Josh was left to wonder why she wasn't happy. "I've made such a mess of everything," she cried. He lifted her from the chair and sat down, cradling her on his lap. She tucked her head beneath his chin and he handed her some tissue from the side table.  
  
"You haven't made a mess of anything, Ellie," he assured her, resting his hand on her abdomen. "We're having a baby."  
  
"That's just it," she sobbed. "Josh, I'm nine weeks pregnant."  
  
He quickly counted back in his head. Nine weeks ago was Ellie's birthday. Nine weeks ago she called off the wedding and they'd made love. "So..." he drawled.  
  
She shifted in his lap to face him. "I don't know how to tell you this," she said, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "My birthday was Saturday, and we made love many, many times that night, but the Tuesday before..."  
  
The realization hit him suddenly. "Curtis," he replied weakly, closing his eyes to block out the thought. The child she was carrying might not be his.  
  
"Josh," she sobbed, caressing his face with her fingers, "I'm so sorry."  
  
He summoned every drop of strength inside him and clasped his hands over hers. "Ellie, I love you and we'll figure this out. Somehow, someway, it's going to be okay." He kissed her forehead and held her tight while she cried.  
  
"The earliest they can test for paternity is twelve weeks," she told him sometime later, when her crying had lessened to random sniffling.  
  
"How do they do that?" he asked curiously.  
  
"Through an amniocentesis," she explained quietly.  
  
"Isn't that were they stick a huge needle in your belly?"  
  
She smiled weakly. "Something like that."  
  
"And what kind of risk is there for you and the baby?" he demanded.  
  
"There's a risk of miscarriage," she explained. Josh suddenly felt sick and scooped her up, setting her on the floor, taking up her pacing on his own.  
  
"No," he answered emphatically. "No! We're not doing anything that puts the baby at risk, Ellie."  
  
"Josh," she argued gently, "We need to know."  
  
"No," he shot back, glaring at her. "We don't need to know that bad. Even if this baby is Curtis's, it's not going to change anything, Ellie."  
  
'Josh," she tried again. He held his hand up to stop her.  
  
"Ellie, for once in both our lives, I'm putting my foot down." Ellie stared back at him, but Josh's determination remained firm.  
  
"Okay," she whispered.  
  
He gathered her into his arms and kissed her forehead again. "Do you have any idea how much I love you?"  
  
"No," she said quietly into his chest. "Tell me."  
  
"See, the thing is," he explained with a grin she couldn't see, but heard in his voice, "I already love you more than anybody has ever loved anyone in the entire course of humankind, and now I'm going to love this baby just as much. It doesn't matter to me whether I'm the father or if Curtis is, because let's face it, the kid's gonna have red hair one way or the other."  
  
Ellie laughed weakly and slapped his chest playfully. "This isn't funny."  
  
He tightened his grip on her waist. "I know it's not, sweetheart. But the important thing is, I love you and you love me and we're both going to love this baby."  
  
"Even if it's not yours?" she asked seriously.  
  
"Ellie," he answered, kissing her quickly, "it's already mine."

* * *

This was, quite possibly, the second worst moment of Josh's entire forty- one years of life. The first was when his sister Joanie died in a fire. Third would be when his father died, but this definitely took the second spot. His beloved Eleanor, the woman he wanted desperately to spend the rest of his life with, was sitting behind his desk, the phone pressed to her ear, telling her former fiancé that she was pregnant, but wasn't sure who the father was. She twirled the phone cord around her finger nervously while she talked. Josh's heart raced as he caught only half of the conversation, being left to wonder what Curtis was saying on the other end of the line.  
  
A week after she'd called off the wedding, she found a note on her pillow, telling her that he was going back to the Congo and that she knew where to find him if she changed her mind. So far, thankfully, she hadn't. She and Josh had been together ever since he left. Two weeks ago, after she'd told Josh she was pregnant, she moved out of her apartment and into his.  
  
"I agree totally, Curt," Ellie nearly whispered. "The amnio has too many risks," she added for Josh's benefit.  
  
"Things are going fine," she said, offering Josh a loving smile. "How are things there?"  
  
She listened as Curtis detailed the events in the Congo. Motombua, their driver, had been diagnosed as a diabetic and Curtis was having a difficult time getting his insulin levels under control.  
  
"I miss you," he said quietly. "This place just isn't the same without you."  
  
Josh watched painfully as tears sprang to her eyes. She wiped them away with her fingertips. "Curt, I'm so incredibly sorry about all of this. I never wanted to hurt you. You have to know that."  
  
"Ellie, I know," he assured her. "I do love you, though, and that's not going to stop any time soon."  
  
He heard her muffled sobs over the connection. "God, I didn't want to make you cry. I never wanted to be the one to make you cry."  
  
"I have to go, Curt," she barely whispered. "I'm sorry, I just have to go now." She replaced the phone in the cradle and stood from Josh's chair. She was immediately enveloped into his arms and he held her tightly while she cried.  
  
"The worst part is over now," he told her. "Curtis knows, and there's nothing we can do now except enjoy this baby growing inside you."  
  
She sniffled and nodded weakly. "Speaking of the baby, she's hungry."  
  
Josh laughed and wrapped his arm around her waist, already growing accustomed to Ellie's mood swings. She'd be bawling one minute, laughing the next. And, she was always hungry. He led her toward the door and grabbed his backpack along the way. "How do you know it's a girl?"  
  
"I just know these things," she answered slyly. "I have a feeling, that's all."  
  
He stopped at Donna's desk and poked his head around the side of the wall. She glanced up at him and rolled her eyes at his grin. "I'm taking my future wife and apparently, daughter, out to eat. You wanna come with?"  
  
"No thank you," Donna answered politely, knowing all too well what Josh really had planned. "But you three have fun."  
  
"'Kay, bye," he said quickly, leading Ellie out through the West Wing and to his car. He opened the passenger side door for her and then shut it when she was securely inside. He slid into the driver's seat and adjusted his rear-view mirror. "Honey, do you care if we just do a quick drive through? I've got a stop to make."  
  
"The quicker Emma and I eat, the better," she answered dramatically.

* * *

Ellie polished off the last of her french fries, finally noticing that Josh had pulled into a car dealership. "What are we doing here?" she demanded as he held the door open for her.  
  
"Come on," he answered with a grin, taking her hand, "I've got a surprise for you."  
  
A tall man with blonde hair was quickly making his way over to them. "Mr. Lyman," he said, extending his hand. "We've got you all ready to go." He nodded toward Ellie and extended his hand to her. "Mike Davis, I'm the manager here, Ms. Bartlet. If you two will follow me."  
  
"What are you up to?" Ellie demanded as they walked toward a warehouse at the back of the lot. Ellie was rendered speechless as she stepped inside. Josh was standing beside her, grinning like an idiot. Before her was a black Chevrolet Tahoe with a huge red bow on the top.  
  
Mike held the driver's side door open and Josh led her over. "I've got the two-seater and you've got a convertible and neither one of those are exactly baby-friendly, so I figured we needed something like this for baby Emma," he explained.  
  
He held his hand out to her, helping her into the vehicle. Ellie hands splayed out over the leather wrapped steering wheel. "Josh," she whispered, her voice hoarse with emotion, "I don't know what to say."  
  
"Why don't you hold that thought for just a second?" he encouraged. "Look up."  
  
Ellie looked up at the visor, her brow furrowing in confusion. "Now over to the right a little," he told her. Her eyes followed his directions and she gasped at what she found. Hanging on a red ribbon from the rear view mirror was the emerald and diamond engagement ring from her dream. She glanced back to where he'd been standing and found that he was gone. The passenger side door opened and Josh climbed onto the leather seat. He removed the ring from the ribbon and held it up.  
  
"I have waited so many years to say this," he began quietly. "Eleanor Rose Bartlet, would you do me the great honor of becoming my wife?"  
  
"How did you know?" she asked curiously.  
  
Josh furrowed his brow in confusion. "How did I know what?"  
  
She pointed at the ring in his hand. "Did C.J. tell you about my dream?" she demanded.  
  
"What dream?"  
  
"The dream I had about you and me and a baby and I was wearing that ring," she said, pointing again at the ring.  
  
"How long ago did you have this dream?" he asked, remembering his own, strangely similar dream.  
  
"Right before my birthday," she answered.  
  
"Ellie," he said, taking her left hand in his own and sliding the ring on her finger. "I've had this ring for nearly two years."  
  
Ellie stared at her newly bejeweled hand, thoroughly admiring his taste in jewelry. "Ellie?" he whispered, leaning close to her ear. "You haven't said yes yet."  
  
She turned her face slowly to his and caressed the side of his face with her fingers. "Yes," she whispered back, capturing his lips with her own.  
  
TBC... 


	42. It Could Have Been Worse

Disclaimer - I still don't own these characters. They are still the property of Josh Wells, NBC and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin.  
  
Rating – PG-13. The President is a little upset and curses quite a bit.  
  
Pairings - Josh/Ellie, Ellie/OC  
  
Spoilers – None  
  
Summary - Josh Lyman meets Eleanor Bartlet during the campaign and falls in love with the young, married medical student. For the purposes of my story, Ellie is several years older in this story and very different than she is on the show.

* * *

Josh guided their new Tahoe into the portico near the Residence. He hopped out and went around the back of the vehicle to open the door for Eleanor. He helped her out of the vehicle, then encircled his arms around her waist and kissed her. Then he lifted her hand and kissed her newly bejeweled ring finger. "Damn, that thing looks good on your hand," he said brightly, grinning at her.  
  
She swatted him playfully and straightened his jacket collar. "All right, Lyman. Time to put on your game face." Josh stood at attention, trying desperately to swallow his grin. "Josh," she warned with a raised eyebrow.  
  
"I'm trying," he answered dramatically, his grin taking over his face. "I'm just unbelievably happy," he explained, circling his arms around her waist again. He captured her lips with his own in a searing kiss. "I love you," he muttered against her lips.  
  
"I love you too," she answered, taking his hand and a deep breath. "It's now or never, let's do it."  
  
Ellie led him through the Residence and up to the den, where her parents and Leo were watching television. Ellie knocked on the doorframe and stepped inside. "Well, hello, honey," her father said, standing and coming over to greet her, "this is a nice surprise."  
  
"Oh, I hope you still think that when we're done," she sighed. She turned back to the door and called for Josh.  
  
He stepped inside and crossed over to her, taking her hand in his. He finally turned to the President. "Mr. President, Dr. Bartlet, Leo," he said, his voice shaking, "I've asked Eleanor to marry me and she's said yes."  
  
The three exchanged startled and shocked glances before Abbey finally spoke up. "You did what?" she demanded, instantly on her feet.  
  
"I asked her to marry me and..." Josh began again.  
  
"I wasn't talking to you!" she screeched, pointing at Eleanor with the magazine she had been reading. "I was talking to her."  
  
"Mom," Ellie said slowly.  
  
"Don't you Mom me, young lady," Abbey roared. "What in the name of God are you thinking? You tried this, Eleanor, don't you remember, you fought all the time."  
  
"We've both changed a lot since then," Ellie argued. "We aren't the same people we were a couple of years ago. And I am old enough to make my own decisions..."  
  
"Oh yeah, you've done a bang up of that up to this point," Leo chimed in.  
  
"Do you really want to have two failed marriages?" her father asked candidly.  
  
She stared at him, her shock at his statement registering on her face. "I can't believe you said that," she said, her tone both hurt and angry.  
  
"Ellie," he said quietly, taking her elbow into his hand, "I'm sorry, but it's true. I told you a long time ago that I didn't think you and Josh had what it takes for the long haul, and quite frankly, I still don't."  
  
"I'm standing right here," Josh quietly reminded him.  
  
"There are three Secret Service agents right outside trained to take your ass out on my command in two seconds flat," Jed threatened. "I'm beginning to think I should have given that order years ago."  
  
"Sir," Josh began the speech he'd been rehearsing for hours in his head, "I love your daughter more than I've ever loved anyone in my entire life, and for six years, that hasn't changed. I loved Amy, and she loved Curtis, but somehow, we keep ending up together. Doesn't that tell you anything?"  
  
"It tells me that you are both gluttons for punishment," the President answered angrily; then turned to Ellie. "Don't you remember the fights, the arguments, the yelling, the screaming..."  
  
"We haven't had one argument since we got back together," Ellie replied defensively.  
  
"Well, congratulations," Abbey said sarcastically. "What an accomplishment for the short amount of time you've been back together. How long do you think that's going to last, Eleanor? A month, two months? How long before you're standing in front of us again, telling us that the wedding's off?"  
  
"Mom," Ellie began, "I love him and we're having a..."  
  
"You're having a what?" Abbey demanded.  
  
"Mom, I'm..." Ellie's voice trailed off as her mother stared at her with hard, cold eyes.  
  
"You're pregnant." Abbey said flatly, her tone resigned.  
  
"Eleven weeks," she almost whispered.  
  
"Holy hell," Leo exclaimed.  
  
"Oh my God," Jed said quietly, sitting down suddenly.  
  
Ellie was instantly on her knees in front of him, "Dad?"  
  
"Yeah?" he answered irately.  
  
"Are you okay?" she asked sheepishly.  
  
"Do I look okay, Eleanor?" he demanded. "Do any of us look okay? You walk in here, tell us you are marrying the man you had an affair with and worse, you're pregnant with his child."  
  
"I know that this is hard to take, Daddy, but..."  
  
"You don't know a goddamn thing, Eleanor," he dismissed her with a wave of his hand. "Not a goddamn thing." He stood quickly and stepped past her. "I'm going to bed," he announced.  
  
Abbey had remained silent until then, quietly watching her daughter desperately trying to explain herself to her father. "Me too," she choked out, walking toward the door. Ellie stood, the tears in her eyes threatening to spill at any moment. Abbey walked up to her daughter and gently placed her hand on her abdomen. "The tiniest twinge, the tiniest drop of blood, and I get a phone call, do you understand?"  
  
Ellie nodded weakly and covered her mother's hand with her own. "No chances this time, I promise."  
  
She watched her mother exit the room and turned her attention back to Leo. The older man ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "I hate to be the one to bring this up, but are you sure the baby is Josh's?"  
  
Ellie and Josh exchanged glances and Leo groaned loudly. "I just don't even know what to say to the two of you," he said, shaking his head in dismay.  
  
"Just say that you love us and you want us to be happy," she begged.  
  
"I do," he nodded, striding over to them. He took one of Eleanor's hand and one of Josh's. "I've always thought of you as a son, Josh. And, Eleanor, you know I think of you as my own."  
  
"Leo?" she asked quietly.  
  
He squeezed her hand and smiled weakly. "I'll talk to them, Ellie. That's all I can promise." Ellie nodded and kissed him on the cheek, then watched him walk out of the room.  
  
"That could have gone better," Josh sighed, sitting down on one of the sofas.  
  
"It also could have gone worse," she reminded him. "No agents were called, no guns were drawn and you're still alive."  
  
"Yeah," he said, resting his head on the back of the sofa. He pushed the fabric of his sleeve back and cast a quick glance at his watch. "It's almost eleven o'clock."  
  
"You ready to go home?" she asked, offering him her best "come-hither" smile.  
  
He grinned. "Keep that up, we won't make it home." He stood and crossed the room quickly, gathering her into his arms. He kissed the soft skin around her collarbone and Ellie hummed her approval.  
  
"I can see the headlines now," she teased. "President's Daughter and Deputy Chief of Staff arrested for lewd conduct in new vehicle."  
  
"That would be bad," he answered, trailing his lips up toward her ear. "We should get home fast."  
  
She pulled away from him and held her hand out. "Lead the way."

* * *

The President paced his bedroom angrily. His face was bright red and the vein on his neck throbbed menacingly. Leo and Abbey watched from spots each had taken on opposite ends of the bed.  
  
"Jed," Abbey said gently, "your blood pressure."  
  
"Our daughter is knocked up and marrying Josh Lyman and you're worried about my blood pressure?" he answered irritably.  
  
"Mr. President," Leo began, "Josh can be a screw up. You know that, I certainly know that, but the fact is, that boy loves Ellie. He has ever since he met her, and none of us can deny that. He's known life with her and he's known life without her."  
  
"What the hell is your point, Leo?" Jed demanded.  
  
"My point is," he said slowly, "The thing I most respect and admire about Josh is, he doesn't make the same mistake twice. He lost Ellie once, and I can guarantee you that he's not going to do anything to lose her again."  
  
"I hate to admit it," Abbey replied, massaging her aching temples with her fingertips, "God knows I hate to admit it, but Leo's right."  
  
"But Curtis was so perfect for her," Jed argued.  
  
"Maybe too perfect," Leo guessed. "At least you know there's passion and fire when there's arguing. Case in point, you and Abbey argue."  
  
"That's not arguing," he shot back. "It's lively, intelligent, mind- exercising debate. There's a difference."  
  
"And that's what they have too," Leo nodded. "They just didn't know how to handle it the first time around."  
  
"You seem to be okay with all of this," Jed replied. "I'm not okay with how okay you seem to be with all of this."  
  
"I'm not okay with it," Leo said with a shake of his head. "But I love her, and I think of Josh as a son, and I want them to be happy."  
  
"And you think they will make each other happy?"  
  
"I don't have any current evidence to the contrary, Mr. President," Leo stated.  
  
"Hmmphf," Jed scoffed. Leo glanced at Abbey and she gave him a grateful smile. At the very least, Jed had given up his pacing and his color was slowly returning to normal.  
  
Leo grinned. "We're going to be grandfathers," he said happily.  
  
"What's this 'we' business?" Jed teased. "I don't recall you being there when Eleanor was conceived."  
  
"I helped raise her and I get at least a fourth of the credit," Leo answered. "Or a fourth of the blame, but either way..."  
  
"We're going to be grandfathers," Jed replied. His tone was neither happy, nor unhappy. It was simply indifferent.  
  
"Yeah," Leo said with a wide smile.  
  
TBC.... 


	43. Daddy's Little Girl

Disclaimer - I still don't own these characters. They are still the property of Josh Wells, NBC and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin.  
  
Rating – PG  
  
Pairings - Josh/Ellie, Ellie/OC  
  
Spoilers – None  
  
Summary - Josh Lyman meets Eleanor Bartlet during the campaign and falls in love with the young, married medical student. For the purposes of my story, Ellie is several years older in this story and very different than she is on the show.

* * *

Ellie paced the floor outside the Oval Office, chewing distractedly on her fingernail while she waited for her father's meeting to be over. He'd sent for her – and God only knew what he wanted to talk to her about. It had been two weeks since she and Josh had told her parents about the baby. Her father had taken to completely ignoring Josh, giving him the cold shoulder in every meeting and shooting down every one of Josh's ideas, even before they got completely out of his mouth.  
  
The door opened and several members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff exited. Charlie smiled at Ellie, who frowned a reply. He shook his head and stood, stepping into the Oval Office and conversing briefly with the President. He stuck his head out and motioned for Ellie.  
  
She stepped past Charlie, who gave her an encouraging, "be strong". Her father was at his desk, his reading glasses perched precariously on the end of his nose. He held up a finger for her to stay quiet for a moment while he finished the page he was reading. He laid the paper on his desk and slowly took off his glasses.  
  
"Ellie," he said, his tone neither cold nor angry.  
  
"Daddy," she responded tentatively.  
  
He motioned for her to sit and came around the desk to sit across from her. "How are you feeling?" he began.  
  
Ellie shrugged. "I feel okay. My sickness is afternoon sickness, not morning sickness."  
  
"Yeah," he answered knowingly. "Your mother was the same way."  
  
"Daddy?" she asked carefully. "Why did you want to see me?"  
  
The President's eyes darted around the room, seemingly focusing on anything other than her. He was carefully considering how to begin this conversation with his daughter. "Ellie," he said, scratching the side of his head, "your mother and I were counting how many weeks you've been pregnant and it's come to our attention that..."  
  
He cleared his throat and Ellie decided to finish the sentence for him. "That the baby might not be Josh's."  
  
"Yeah," he answered with a sigh. "Does Josh..."  
  
"Yes," Ellie replied with a nod. "He knows and quite frankly, he doesn't care. He loves me and he wants to marry me and he's going to be the father of this baby."  
  
"While that improves my current opinion of Josh Lyman slightly, and I mean only slightly, that's an awful lot for a man to handle, Ellie," he said. "Have you even told Curtis?"  
  
"Yes," she nodded. "He's going to come here for the birth, and if it is his child, we'll figure out something..."  
  
The President groaned and shook his head. Ellie stood from the couch and knelt down in front of her father, taking his hand in hers. "Josh is going to be this baby's everyday, diaper changing, boo-boo kissing, getting up in the middle of the night daddy. It's what we both want."  
  
"That's not exactly fair for Curtis," he responded.  
  
Ellie groaned and returned to her seat, ready for this new argument with her father. "Curtis loves his work, Daddy, and he was never willing to give that up, not even for me," she explained.  
  
"What went wrong with you two, Ellie?" he asked tenderly. "I just don't understand it. He loved you so much, and we all thought you loved him."  
  
"I did," she answered honestly, "I do. But, I think that I loved him because he was so different from Josh. We never argued, never. And after a while, the passion sort of stared fading."  
  
"Maybe with a little more work, it wouldn't have faded," Jed accused bitterly.  
  
"That's not fair, Dad. You didn't live with us day to day. You weren't there. You and Mom caught the last couple of months and even then in bits and pieces," she responded.  
  
"Lord Phillip said that Curtis is simply beside himself with grief," Jed told her. "He can't eat, can't sleep, he's lost without you."  
  
Ellie swallowed what would have been a smug grin. "You made that up."  
  
"Yeah," he admitted. "I'm a crappy liar. It's a miracle I've succeeded as a politician. I haven't talked to Phillip. I have no idea what to say to him right now."  
  
"I know the feeling," she responded. "I told Curtis about the baby, then had to get off the phone because he made me cry."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Dad, you're treating Josh really badly, you know that, right?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah, and when I decide I'm done punishing him for knocking up my daughter, which he may or may not have actually done, I'll probably fire him," he answered sarcastically.  
  
"Could you wait until after the baby's born?" she asked with a slight smile. "I'd really like to have insurance."  
  
"Josh is a rich guy," Jed scoffed. "He doesn't need the insurance."  
  
Ellie shook her head exasperatedly. "He's not that rich and by the way, do you have any idea how expensive it is to have a baby?"  
  
"No, Doctor-whatever-your-last-name-is-today, I don't," he shot back. "And while we're on that subject, when in the hell are you going back to work?"  
  
"After the baby is born," she explained with a shrug.  
  
The President frowned and leaned back in the chair. He pointed at her stomach. "What are we having anyway?"  
  
Ellie grinned and absent-mindedly ran her fingers over her belly. "It's too early to tell, Daddy."  
  
"What's your best guess?"  
  
"A girl, probably," she answered.  
  
"Figures. I've had three daughters, one granddaughter and only one grandson. The odds weren't in my favor," he replied.  
  
"They never have been," she teased. "You've always been outnumbered, and quite frankly, we like it that way. Gus was an accident. He was supposed to pop out a girl."  
  
"That's not nice," he answered with a warning glare.  
  
"Speaking of nice," she said with a grin, "are you going to start being nicer to Josh now?"  
  
"I wouldn't count on it," he scoffed. "I'm not ready to stop punishing him just yet."  
  
"But soon?"  
  
"I might do a 180 and be nice to him on your wedding day, but after that, all bets are off," he replied.  
  
"Is that your warped way of giving us your blessing?" she asked hopefully.  
  
"Not yet. You both have a lot to prove to me over the next few weeks," he answered.  
  
"C.J.'s announcing the engagement to the press today," she told him. "They're going to ask about your reaction."  
  
"You can tell her to remind the press that they haven't yet found Josh dead, so obviously my reaction wasn't that bad," he said.  
  
"It wasn't that good either," she reminded.  
  
"I'm not going there with you," he warned.  
  
"Okay," she said, standing. She reached over and kissed her father on the cheek. "I love you, Daddy."  
  
"I love you too, Honey," he replied. "And I stand by what I said years ago. He hurts you, I'll kill him."  
  
"I think you'll have to get in line," she answered with a sly smile.  
  
"I'll be the head of the line," he said as she retreated from the office, "With Leo and a whole line of Secret Service agents behind me."  
  
TBC.... 


	44. Big Stories and Chubby Hubbies

Disclaimer - I still don't own these characters. They are still the property of Josh Wells, NBC and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin.  
  
Rating – PG  
  
Pairings - Josh/Ellie, Ellie/OC  
  
Spoilers – None  
  
Summary - Josh Lyman meets Eleanor Bartlet during the campaign and falls in love with the young, married medical student. For the purposes of my story, Ellie is several years older in this story and very different than she is on the show.  
  
**A/N – Thanks to everyone who continues to review this story!! It means so much to me to hear your comments and thoughts! Thanks so much!  
**

* * *

C.J. stood at her podium for the afternoon briefing, taking a quick but deep breath before she made her final announcement of the day. She gripped the sides of her podium, mentally and physically preparing herself for the barrage of questions she knew would follow.  
  
"Okay guys, one more announcement this afternoon. Normally, we don't comment on the personal lives of the White House staff or that of the First Family, however, today I'm feeling generous, so I'm throwing you a juicy little tidbit," she paused for the reporters' laughter, "Two weeks ago yesterday, Deputy Chief of Staff Joshua Lyman proposed marriage to Eleanor Bartlet. Miss Bartlet accepted the proposal, along with a four carat emerald and diamond engagement ring, and a wedding date has been set."  
  
At first, there was stunned silence. Then forty hands immediately shot into the air and forty reporters were on their feet.  
  
"C.J.!"  
  
"C.J.!"  
  
"C.J.!"  
  
"C.J.!"  
  
"Yes, Katie."  
  
"Did you just say that Josh Lyman and Ellie Bartlet are getting married?" the young reporter asked with a disbelieving tone.  
  
"I did," C.J. answered with a nod, then adding teasingly, "You guys have got to start paying more attention to me. What if the world had been coming to an end?"  
  
Katie scratched her head and frowned. "Doesn't that seem a little fast? I mean, she broke up with Dr. West like, a few weeks ago?"  
  
"That question is extremely personal, Katie," C.J. chastised, "and I'm not going to answer it. And for clarification, the wedding was called off thirteen weeks ago."  
  
"C.J.!"  
  
"C.J.!"  
  
"Danny," she pointed at Danny Concannon.  
  
"I'm glad you brought up the engagement, because I have a source who saw Eleanor Bartlet leaving an OB/GYN's office last week," Danny said with a sly grin. "Do you care to tell us whether or not Eleanor might be pregnant and whether or not this has precipitated the proposal?"  
  
"Precipitated? That's a big word, Danny," C.J. teased, "And no, I don't care to comment on that."  
  
"Come on C.J.," Danny tried again, "Throw us another bone."  
  
"No," she said with a laugh.  
  
"You're no fun," Danny pouted.  
  
"Six years, and you're just now figuring that out?" she said with a grin. She picked up her folders. "Seriously, guys, that's all. Unless the world actually comes to an end, the lid's on until morning."  
  
The collective reporters groaned and C.J. giggled slightly as she stepped from the podium and into the hallway between her office and the briefing room. "Three, two..." she mentally counted.  
  
"C.J.!"  
  
"Right on time," she thought to herself, swinging around to face a frowning Danny. "Hello, Handsome."  
  
Danny crossed his arms over his chest. "If I'm so handsome, why wouldn't you answer my question?"  
  
"Because it would ruin our banter," she said with a shrug, "and I happen to like our banter."  
  
"Okay, fine, I want my fish back," he replied.  
  
"She's my fish, and you can't have her back," C.J. answered, "but if you follow me into my office, we can discuss joint custody."  
  
Danny followed C.J. into her office and shut the door behind them. C.J. leaned against her desk and crossed her arms. "You know the drill," she began. "I am an unnamed White House source."  
  
"Ellie Bartlet _is_ pregnant," Danny said.  
  
"Thirteen weeks," she replied. "Josh and Ellie would prefer that you sit on this for a little while, at least until she is completely out of her first trimester. However, they also understand that this is big news and if you go to press with it immediately, they will forgive you."  
  
"I just won't get an invitation to the wedding?" he asked with a grin.  
  
"Not from them or me," she clarified.  
  
"You really are no fun, you know that, right?"  
  
"I do, in fact," she replied.  
  
"I will sit on it," he said with a dismayed shake of his head, "but this seriously corrupts my morals as a journalist."  
  
"And yet it gets you so much closer to actually getting somewhere with me," she answered.  
  
"You're killing me, Claudia Jean."  
  
"I'm strangely enjoying it, Daniel."

* * *

Josh waved sarcastically at the reporters flanking the White House drive as he guided his car around them. He was grateful to Ellie for giving up her BMW and allowing him to keep his Audi when he bought her Tahoe. He loved this car, but he would have given it up for her.  
  
He thought he had prepared himself for the hounding he knew he and Ellie would take from the press once news of their engagement went public, but he wasn't prepared for anything like the last few hours. The phone in his office had literally rung off the hook. Somehow, someway, several reporters had even gotten hold of his cell phone number. Donna had been frantically answering calls all afternoon, finally screaming at one reporter, "What part of no comment do you not understand?" Josh had sent her home, calling it a mental health day.  
  
He drove home quickly, periodically checking his rear view mirror for tails. He coasted into a spot close to his front door and sprinted inside while anxious paparazzi snapped photographs. He opened his front door and tossed his keys onto the entry table. The house was strangely quiet and his concern was instantly peaked.  
  
"Ellie?" he called out softly. He padded into the living room, noticing quickly that the phone had been unplugged from the wall. He picked up her cell phone from the kitchen counter and found it turned off as well. He walked quietly down the hallway to their bedroom and pushed the door open. He leaned against the doorframe and grinned.  
  
Ellie was sitting propped up on pillows in the middle of their bed, munching on ice cream and flipping channels on the television. "Hi!" she said brightly.  
  
"What are you doing?" he asked with an amused tone.  
  
"Watching you on television," she answered with a grin of her own. "And recording it. I want this preserved for Emma. Just in case you are ever President."  
  
"Here kid, don't make the same mistakes we did?"  
  
"That pretty much sums it up," she said slyly.  
  
He kicked off his shoes and loosened his tie, tossing it onto a chair. He crawled into the bed and laid his head on her leg, watching the press coverage with her. She absent-mindedly stroked his hair in between bites of ice cream.  
  
"What are we having for dinner today?" he teased, rolling onto his back so that he could look at her.  
  
She grinned down at him. "Chubby Hubby," she answered.  
  
"Is that a hint?"  
  
"Nah," she said with a wave of her hand. "If anyone's going to end up chubby in this family, I have a feeling it's going to be me."  
  
He yanked the spoon out of her hand and dipped it into the soft ice cream. "Especially if you keep having dinner with Ben & Jerry."  
  
"It has calcium," she shot back exasperatedly. "Calcium is good for us."  
  
Josh swallowed his bite. "C.J. gave Danny the story," he said.  
  
"What's he going to do?" she asked curiously. "The press have been speculating all night that I'm pregnant."  
  
"He's going to sit on it until we're a couple of weeks into the second trimester, then he's going at it full force," Josh explained, taking another bite of Ellie's ice cream.  
  
"I wish he'd sit on it longer than that," she sighed.  
  
"Why?" he asked. Ellie's eyes darted down and Josh didn't miss the flash of pain in her eyes. "Sorry," he muttered.  
  
"It's okay," she said with a small shrug. "I just keep thinking about him, you know? He'd be almost seven years old now."  
  
"Did they ever tell you whether the baby was a boy or a girl?" he asked tenderly, not wanting to upset her, but curious all the same.  
  
"No," she answered with a shake of her head, "but I knew it was a boy." She leaned down and kissed him softly. "Just like I know we're having a girl."  
  
"What are we going to name her?" Josh asked, handing her the ice cream and settling his head back onto her bare leg.  
  
Ellie glared at him with a raised eyebrow. "Where in the hell have you been the past few weeks?" she demanded. "Our daughter's name is Emma."  
  
"Sorry," Josh answered with a goofy grin. "I know her first name is Emma, I was referring to her middle name. I've been leaning toward Grace."  
  
"Oh," she replied. "Well, if it's okay with you, I think her middle name should be Joan."  
  
Josh smiled softly and closed his eyes for a moment. He swallowed the lump forming in his throat at the mention of his sister's name. "I think that would be perfect," he said quietly.  
  
Ellie kissed him again, allowing her lips to linger on his. She looked back up at the television screen. "This is my favorite part," she giggled, turning up the volume on the set. Josh rolled onto his side and tucked his hand under her leg.  
  
"White House Press Secretary C.J. Cregg announced this evening that Deputy Chief of Staff Joshua Lyman and his longtime on-again, off-again girlfriend, First Daughter Eleanor Bartlet McGarry are engaged. Dr. Bartlet recently ended her engagement to Doctor Curtis West, and the news from the White House comes as a shock to many in the political arena.  
  
"There is intense speculation on whether or not Dr. Bartlet might be pregnant. She was seen last week leaving the offices of Dr. Nicholas and Brennan, two well-known D.C. obstetricians. When asked to comment, Miss Cregg said that the obstetricians are also gynecologists and that Dr. Bartlet has been a patient of Dr. Nicholas's for nearly eight years."  
  
"Ah, what do they know?" Josh teased. He sat up and pushed Ellie down onto the pillows, his eyes sparkling. He kissed her passionately, running his hand over the tiny bump that was slowly forming on her normally flat stomach.  
  
"Would you care to comment on the speculation, Mr. Lyman?" she asked, pressing tiny kisses to the corners of his mouth.  
  
"Sure," he answered teasingly. "All I have to say is that yes, she's pregnant, and yes, I'm extremely proud of myself."  
  
"Are you now?" she asked seductively.  
  
"Um-hum," he replied, lifting the edge of her tank top over her head. "You want me to tell you how much?"  
  
She grinned, making quick work of the buttons on his shirt. "I'd rather you show me."  
  
TBC.... 


	45. There Goes the Groom

Disclaimer - I still don't own these characters. They are still the property of Josh Wells, NBC and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin. Wait, hold on, I do own Dr. Curtis West. Yum. I don't own Damian Lewis, though and that is a true crime against humanity. Anybody got any ideas how I can resolve that little problem???? Just asking!  
  
Rating - PG.  
  
Pairings - Josh/Ellie, Ellie/OC  
  
Spoilers – None  
  
Summary - Josh Lyman meets Eleanor Bartlet during the campaign and falls in love with the young, married medical student. For the purposes of my story, Ellie is several years older in this story and very different than she is on the show.  
  
I've had this story in my head for years, and have finally forged the courage to begin writing. Here's hoping you all continue to enjoy it!!  
  
**A/N – This has been one of my very favorite chapters to write, because this is sooo something Josh would do!  
**

* * *

Josh leaned over the toilet for what felt like the nine-hundreth time that morning, throwing up everything he'd eaten for what felt like the last nine hundred years.  
  
"What the hell is wrong with me?" he screamed into the toilet bowl, not really expecting a reply.  
  
"Either you've got the worst case of wedding jitters I've ever seen or you're going to die," Sam answered. He was calmly shaving at the sink, seemingly unbothered by his best friend's retching.  
  
Josh leaned back against the tub, resting his neck on the cool porcelain. "Six years I have waited to marry this woman," he said irritably. "Six years, and the day of our wedding I come down with the stomach flu."  
  
"We could call it off you know," Sam answered.  
  
"There is no way in hell I am calling this wedding off," Josh replied. Sam handed him a cold wet washcloth, which he gratefully accepted.  
  
Sam eyed Josh carefully. His skin was a sickly pale and there were dark circles under his eyes. "I'm calling Ellie," Sam said with a dismayed shake of his head.  
  
"No!" Josh bellowed, launching his weakened body at Sam, who was reaching for the phone. "You can't tell her I'm sick."  
  
"Why not?" Sam demanded. "She could at least call you in something to make you stop throwing up."  
  
"If she knows I'm sick, she's going to want to reschedule the wedding and we are NOT rescheduling this wedding," Josh answered forcefully.  
  
"Fine, but if you pass out on the altar, I'm not catching you."  
  
"Some best man you are," Josh shot back, sliding down the wall he'd been resting on and collapsing into a heap on the floor. "I can do this," he said, although it sounded much more confident in his head than the way it sounded coming out of his mouth.  
  
"Oh yeah, you're doing great so far," Sam replied.

* * *

Ellie floated down the aisle on her father's arm, happier today than she'd ever been in her life. The small church was filled with her closest friends and family – those she loved most gathered under one roof. Her ivory Vera Wang gown clung to beautifully to her curves and Ellie knew Josh would love the way her fuller breasts filled out the top. Her slightly burgeoning belly was hidden under the carefully constructed folds on her gown.  
  
Her sisters, Donna and C.J. were already at the altar, all gorgeous in chocolate satin and velvet gowns, perfect on cool fall day. Even her father looked happy. It had taken nearly three months, but the President had finally given Josh and Ellie his blessing, just two weeks before their wedding. Now, here she was, about to pledge her life and love to the man she loved.  
  
Josh was standing before her and Ellie was shocked by how awful her fiancé looked. She glared quickly at Sam, who simply shrugged. When the President placed Ellie's hand in Josh's, she noticed that his skin was cold and clammy.  
  
"What's wrong with you?" she whispered.  
  
"Nothing," he answered, his eyes half glazed. "You look beautiful."  
  
"You look like hell," she responded.  
  
"I don't think you can say that in church," he answered, turning to the priest, who was ready to begin the service, joined by Josh's rabbi.  
  
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join this man and this woman in Holy Matrimony," Father Keller began. "Marriage is an honorable..."  
  
Josh stood there with Eleanor's hand in his, pretty sure he was drifting in and out of consciousness as the Priest and Rabbi Lerner conducted the service.  
  
"Eleanor and Joshua," Father Keller said, "have you come here freely and without reservation to give yourselves to each other in marriage?"  
  
"I have," Ellie responded. Not hearing Josh's answer, she turned to face him. He blinked slowly, his skin a pasty white. "Josh," she said quietly, nudging him with his elbow.  
  
"Yeah," he answered weakly. "I'm fine." He began swaying slowly back and forth.  
  
"There goes the groom," Sam whispered to Toby, taking his place to catch Josh when he fell.  
  
"JOSH!" Ellie cried as he fainted into Sam's arms. She knelt beside him on the ground, taking his pulse and loosening his bow tie while a crowd formed around them. "What the hell is wrong with him?" she demanded of Sam.  
  
"Stomach flu," Sam answered plainly. "I begged him to let me call you, but you know how he is."  
  
She pinched the skin on his hand, shaking her head. "He's dehydrated," she determined, "we're going to the hospital."  
  
"No!" Josh tried to yell, but barely found his voice as he regained consciousness. "It's our wedding day."  
  
"Not anymore it's not," she said irritably, stepping back so that Toby and Sam could lift him and carry him out to the closet vehicle. She climbed into the backseat with him, lifting his head and resting it on her lap.  
  
"I'm sorry," he muttered as she stroked his hair with her fingertips.  
  
"For what?" she asked quietly. "For loving me so much that you'd put your health in danger to marry me?"  
  
"Well, when you put it that way, I sound like a damn prince," he joked weakly.  
  
"You are a damn prince," she echoed with a smile. She leaned down and kissed his forehead.

* * *

Josh woke slowly; feeling the lingering effects of the medication the doctor had given him when they arrived at the emergency room. He glanced at the clock on the wall, surprised to find that it was almost eleven o'clock at night.  
  
The lights in the room had been dimmed and he squinted as he glanced around his hospital room. Ellie and her mother were on the couch by the window. Ellie's head was in Abbey's lap, and she'd clearly fallen asleep while stroking Ellie's hair. His mother was in one of the two recliners along the other wall and Donna occupied the other.  
  
"You're awake."  
  
The voice startled him. He looked back toward the window and found the President staring back at him.  
  
"You've been out quite a while."  
  
"I ruined the wedding," Josh replied miserably.  
  
"Yeah. At least your intentions were good," Jed answered with a slight grin.  
  
Ellie stirred and slowly opened her eyes. She stood and stretched and Josh marveled at how beautiful she was, even with the mussed hair and the sweatpants and t-shirt. She stepped over to him and kissed him lightly. "Have a nice nap?"  
  
"I'm sorry, Ellie," he said quietly, fighting back the tears threatening to fall.  
  
"Stop apologizing," she ordered. "You did okay, you managed to make it almost twenty minutes into the wedding. That's not bad considering you were severely dehydrated and running and 102 degree fever."  
  
"I feel a lot better now," he replied, glancing at the clock again, his mind racing with ideas. "You know, if we're going to get married before midnight, we got some things to do."  
  
"Oookay," Ellie said sarcastically, "Someone's had a little too much medication."  
  
"I'm serious," he said, taking her hand. "I want to marry you today, right now."  
  
"You're nuts," she answered.  
  
"Where's the phone?" he demanded. Ellie raised an eyebrow but handed him the phone. He quickly dialed. "Sam, get your ass out of bed, find Father Keller and Rabbi Lerner, get my tux..." He covered the phone with his hand. "Where the marriage license?" he asked Ellie.  
  
"We are not getting married in the hospital, Josh," she replied.  
  
"Ye of such little faith, woman," he chastised.  
  
"It's in Donna's purse," Ellie answered.  
  
"Okay," he said, returning his attention to the phone call, "Ellie has the marriage license. My tux is hanging in the closet here, so get the guys together and meet us at the church. I'll get Donna to call the women."  
  
"You're insane," Ellie said when he hung up the phone.  
  
"You have no idea," he replied with a grin.  
  
TBC.... 


	46. Wedding Redux

Disclaimer - I still don't own these characters. They are still the property of Josh Wells, NBC and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin. Wait, hold on, I do own Dr. Curtis West. Yum. I don't own Damian Lewis, though and that is a true crime against humanity. Anybody got any ideas how I can resolve that little problem???? Just asking!  
  
Rating - PG.  
  
Pairings - Josh/Ellie, Ellie/OC  
  
Spoilers – None  
  
Summary - Josh Lyman meets Eleanor Bartlet during the campaign and falls in love with the young, married medical student. For the purposes of my story, Ellie is several years older in this story and very different than she is on the show.  
  
**A/N – the text for Ellie and Josh's Catholic/Jewish wedding service comes from a website I found called   
**

* * *

"I have the strangest sensation we've done this before," Jed teased Eleanor as he escorted her down the aisle for the second time that day to the strains of the quickly re-assembled string quartet.  
  
"You're a riot Dad, she answered as he leaned in to kiss her cheek and place her hand in Josh's.  
  
Josh and Ellie turned toward their ministers, finally ready to pledge their lives to each other. The small church was occupied by only their closest friends and family - those wonderful people in their lives who didn't mind a phone call at eleven p.m., ordering them back to the church for the wedding. The tuxes were rumpled, the gowns wrinkled, the flowers wilted and the hair flat, but no one in the room seemed to notice.  
  
"Shall we pick up where we left off?" Rabbi Lerner teased. "Or shall we start all over again?"  
  
"We're going to have to start all over again, because I don't remember anything from this morning," Josh explained with a wide grin.  
  
"Very well," Father Keller said with a nod, opening his bible, "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join this man and this woman in Holy Matrimony..."  
  
Ellie glanced over at Josh and smiled. He leaned in and softly kissed her on the cheek. The ministers both cleared their throat and the couple offered the men guilty smiles. "Patience is a virtue, Joshua," Rabbi Lerner warned.  
  
"Eleanor and Joshua, have you come here freely and without reservation to give yourselves to each other in marriage?" Father Keller asked.  
  
"We have," they both answered with a laugh.  
  
"Eleanor and Joshua, since it is your intention to enter into marriage," he continued, "join your right hands and repeat after me."  
  
Josh took Eleanor's hand in his and brought it up to his heart, smiling brightly as he began to repeat the vows. "In the name of God, I, Joshua, take you, Eleanor, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness..." he paused for the inevitable snickering from their friends and family, "and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death. This is my solemn vow."  
  
Ellie squeezed his hands and took a deep breath as she began her vows. Josh was overwhelmed as he watched her. She was so beautiful, bathed in the candlelight illuminating the small church, the light flickering off the tiny crystals embedded in her veil, tears in her eyes as she repeated the same vows he had just given to her.  
  
Rabbi Lerner took the rings from C.J. and Sam, cradling them in his hands. "These rings in their unbroken wholeness are tokens of the continuity of your love. May their shining substance be a symbol of the enduring trust and affection that you bring to one another."  
  
"Joshua, as you place the ring on Eleanor's finger, repeat after me."  
  
Josh took Eleanor's simple platinum wedding band from the Rabbi's hand and slid it onto her finger. "With this ring," he began, "I join my life with yours. This is my beloved and this is my friend."  
  
"Ellie, as your place the ring on Joshua's finger, repeat after me."  
  
Ellie wiped away a tear and slid Josh's ring onto his finger. "With this ring, I join my life with yours." She looked into his eyes and raised her hand to wipe away his tears; then cradled the side of his face with her fingers. "This is my beloved and this is my friend."  
  
The Rabbi continued, "Your friends and family, all of us here, rejoice in your happiness and we pray that this day marks only one of the many more blessings you will share in the days and years ahead. And now that you have spoken the words and performed the rites that unite your lives, we now, by the power of your love and the commitment you have made, declare your marriage to be valid and binding, and declare you, Joshua and Eleanor, husband and wife."  
  
Chills shot through Josh's body as he listened to the Rabbi. Finally, after all these years, after everything they'd been through – the loss of Ellie's first baby, David's death, the Rosslyn shooting, their break-ups and make-ups, Amy and Curtis – they'd come full circle.  
  
"That which God hath joined together," Father Keller continued, "let no man or woman put asunder."  
  
"May God bless you and keep you," Rabbi Lerner said.  
  
"May God's countenance shine upon you and be gracious to you," Father Keller continued the prayer.  
  
"May God look upon you with favor and grant you peace."  
  
Expecting to hear the words, "You may now kiss your bride," Josh leaned in to Eleanor, but was stopped by Rabbi Lerner's hand. "Somebody's a little anxious," he teased. Josh blushed and Ellie laughed, bringing her hand up to his face, caressing his cheek.  
  
"We conclude this ceremony with the breaking of the glass," Rabbi Lerner continued, "It is a joyous ceremony and while there are many different explanations for the breaking of the glass – today, the fragility of the glass suggests the frailty of human relationships. The glass is broken to protect this marriage with the implied prayer.  
  
May your bond of love be as difficult to break as it would be to put together the pieces of this glass. After Joshua breaks the glass, I invite everyone to shout out the Hebrew words 'Mazel Tov', which means 'Good Luck and Congratulations'."  
  
The Rabbi laid the glass down and Josh grinned at Ellie as he stepped on it. The crinkling sound of glass breaking echoed through the room, and those assembled began shouting "Mazel Tov!"  
  
Ellie launched into Josh's arms and he lifted her up, crushing his lips on hers.  
  
"This is normally where I say, 'You may now kiss your bride', but I guess I'm a little late," Father Keller said with an amused shake of his head.  
  
They finally broke apart, laughing and giving the other tiny kisses as the room erupted in applause. Josh set Ellie down and took her hand in his. Ellie accepted her bouquet from C.J. and turned with Josh to face their family and friends.  
  
"It is our great honor," Father Keller said, "to present to you, for the very first time, Mr. and Mrs. Joshua Lyman."  
  
Josh couldn't resist giving Ellie another quick kiss as the first few notes of Mendelssohn's Wedding March began. They stopped at the first pew, Josh giving his mother a kiss on the cheek, Ellie hugging her parents and Leo. They raced down the rest of the aisle into the tiny narthex of the church. Josh laced his arms behind her back and pulled her close to him. "Hello, Mrs. Lyman," he whispered onto her lips.  
  
"Hello, Mr. Lyman," she echoed, kissing him softly.  
  
TBC.... 


	47. Awaiting Dday

Disclaimer - I still don't own these characters. They are still the property of Josh Wells, NBC and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin.  
  
Rating - PG.  
  
Pairings - Josh/Ellie, Ellie/OC  
  
Spoilers – None  
  
Summary - Josh Lyman meets Eleanor Bartlet during the campaign and falls in love with the young, married medical student. For the purposes of my story, Ellie is several years older in this story and very different than she is on the show.

* * *

Josh nervously spun his wedding ring on his finger. He was distracted and only half listening to the meeting he was supposed to be conducting. He glanced down at his cell phone for probably the tenth time in the last two minutes, fearing that it might have rung and he hadn't felt it.  
  
"Josh?" Sam asked curiously, observing Josh's expression.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
Sam offered him a sympathetic smile. "Go call her. I've got this under control."  
  
"Thanks," Josh answered, rising quickly from his seat. He made his way into the hallway and checked his cell phone again. This was the week of her pregnancy, when over seven years ago, Eleanor lost her first child. Josh had been a nervous wreck all week, despite assurances from Ellie's doctors and Ellie herself that everything was fine.  
  
He sauntered into his office and plopped down into his chair, sighing as he picked up the phone and dialed.  
  
"I'm fine," Ellie immediately answered when she picked up the phone.  
  
"I know," he sighed again, "I just needed to hear it."  
  
"You're obsessed," she said with a laugh.  
  
"I'm worried, Wifey, there's a difference," he replied.  
  
"Wifey?" she questioned with an amused tone. Josh could hear the grin in her voice and it forced him to smile too.  
  
"Hey, don't laugh, I've been working on that all day. It's your new nickname."  
  
Ellie smiled, recalling the first time he'd given her that line. "What happened to Doc?"  
  
"Got boring," Josh answered, twirling the phone cord around his finger. "Gotta keep things fresh, you know."  
  
"Joshua?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Get back to work."  
  
"Okay, I love you."  
  
"I love you more," she retorted.  
  
"That's not humanly possible," he replied; then replaced the phone in the cradle. He glanced up to find Sam leaning in his doorway. "She's fine."  
  
"Yeah," Sam answered, sitting down in one of Josh's office chairs. "So, we've decided that you should be the one to talk to Doug."  
  
"What?" Josh demanded. "Why me?"  
  
"Because you're his brother-in-law," Sam explained.  
  
"I don't even like Doug Westin," Josh said exasperatedly.  
  
"We're hoping that you can help Doug understand that the only Bartlet sons- in-law who have any business running for Congress are you and Charlie, if he ever marries Zoey." Sam continued.  
  
"Doug's a moron," Josh sighed, leaning back in his chair.  
  
"That seems to be the President's take on it, too," Sam said with a nod, "He says that he won't be campaigning for Doug, even if he chooses to run."  
  
Josh groaned and sat up in his chair. "Donna!" he cried.  
  
She arrived in his doorway almost instantaneously. "You bellowed?" she asked.  
  
"I need you to arrange a meeting for me with my idiotic, thinks he can run for Congress on the President's coattails, thank God I'm only related to him through marriage, brother-in-law," Josh said as he blew out a long breath.  
  
"Should I call him that, or just shorten it to Doug?" she asked sarcastically.  
  
"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn," he replied with a grin.  
  
Donna glanced down at Sam and offered him quick smile as she turned to leave. Sam blushed slightly and looked down at his notes. Josh gaped at both of them. Sam's relationship with Ainsley hadn't survived her move to California and her foray into the private sector.  
  
"Something I need to know?" he demanded.  
  
"No, nothing at all," Sam said quickly. "I'm going. Let me know how it goes, okay?"

* * *

Josh chewed his fingernail mercilessly, despite the constant swatting of his hand from his wife. Ellie was perfectly calm, sitting patiently in one of the exam room chairs, flipping through a magazine. Her calmness was irritating him beyond belief.  
  
"Why are you so nervous?" she asked with a laugh.  
  
"Why are you so damned calm?" he shot back irritably.  
  
"Joshua, everything is..." Ellie's admonishment dropped off and her hand flew to her ever-expanding belly.  
  
Josh was on his knees instantly in front of her. "Oh my God," he exclaimed, "I knew it. I've been worried all week, and now..."  
  
"JOSH!" Ellie said with a huge grin. She brought his hand up to her stomach and pressed it there. "Do you feel that?"  
  
Josh felt something similar to a muscle twitching under his fingertips and his face screwed up into a frown. "What is that?" he asked.  
  
She touched his cheek with her fingers. "That, is our baby kicking."  
  
"No way," Josh laughed, pressing his fingers deeper into her abdomen. He felt the tiny sensation again. "That is the weirdest thing I think I've ever felt," he marveled.  
  
"Try being on this end of it," she laughed.  
  
The door opened and a cute, young blonde technician popped into the room. "Mrs. Lyman, we're ready for your ultrasound now." Ellie grinned at Josh and gathered her purse, heading out the door with Josh right on her heels. They stepped into the chilly room and the technician, Katie, instructed Ellie to hop up onto the table. Ellie got comfortable and Josh took up his position beside her, out of Katie's way.  
  
Katie smoothed some warm gel over Ellie's belly and pressed the ultrasound tool onto her abdomen. She clicked a couple of keys on the keyboard and suddenly, the baby was clearly visible, even to Josh, on the monitor.  
  
"There she is," Ellie cooed, reaching over to touch the monitor. Josh kissed her hand and grinned like an idiot.  
  
"Somebody's active today," Katie laughed, moving the tool around and observing the baby's kicking. "How 'bout we see if this 'she' we keep referring to is really a she?"  
  
Katie studied the monitor for a moment and then turned back to the couple. "Okay, you want to know?" she grinned.  
  
"Yes," Josh answered quickly.  
  
Katie shook her head. "I need a yes from the Mommy, too."  
  
Ellie laughed and gazed over at Josh. She marveled at the wide-eyed child like fascination on her husband's face. "Yes," she said softly.  
  
"So, what the boy's name you picked out?" she asked.  
  
Both Ellie and Josh's faces fell in shock. "You've got to be kidding me," Josh said dramatically.  
  
"Matthew," Ellie answered tentatively.  
  
Katie grinned. "Well, it's nice and all, but you won't be needing it."  
  
"It's a girl?" Josh asked, for clarification.  
  
"It's a girl."  
  
"It's a girl," Josh laughed, kissing away Ellie's tears. "I always wanted a girl." He touched Ellie's stomach with his fingers. "Hey there, little Emma Joan."  
  
"That's pretty," Katie complimented.  
  
"Emma is the book that brought us back together," Ellie explained, her eyes never leaving Josh's, "and Joanie is Josh's sister."  
  
"That's really nice," Katie said with a smile, cleaning the gel off Ellie's belly and handing Josh Emma's first picture and video.  
  
Ellie's obstetrician, Mary Nicholas, poked her head in the door. "Hi," she said brightly, "Did Baby Lyman cooperate today?"  
  
"Yes," Ellie nodded. "Emma cooperated just fine."  
  
"Glad to hear it," Dr. Nicholas said with a grin. She swung the door open. "Ellie, I don't need to see you today, so you can get dressed and enjoy the rest of your day."  
  
Ellie hopped off the table and breezed past the doctor, leaving Josh alone in the room with Katie and Dr. Nicholas, who quickly reviewed the ultrasound.  
  
"Dr. Nicholas?" he asked quietly. "Everything's really okay, right?"  
  
She turned to Josh and offered him a sympathetic smile. "Everything is going beautifully, Josh. Don't stress about it, just enjoy this time with your wife."  
  
His fears calmed slightly with the doctor's assurance. He stood and crossed over to the doorway, tapping his hand against the frame. "Okay, thanks," he answered.  
  
TBC... 


	48. Code Pink

Disclaimer - I still don't own these characters. They are still the property of Josh Wells, NBC and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin.  
  
Rating - PG.  
  
Pairings - Josh/Ellie, Ellie/OC  
  
Spoilers – None  
  
Summary - Josh Lyman meets Eleanor Bartlet during the campaign and falls in love with the young, married medical student. For the purposes of my story, Ellie is several years older in this story and very different than she is on the show.  
  
**A/N – Curtis returns in this chapter. Oh, how I've missed him so. Maybe not him so much, but definitely the idea of Damian Lewis in this story. Yum. Oh, sorry, okay, on with the story.  
**

* * *

Josh checked the Caller ID on his ringing cell phone rang and answered it quickly. "Emma Joan Lyman's father, may I help you?" he asked amusedly.  
  
"Josh!" Ellie exclaimed. Her voice was strained and he heard the wail of a siren in the background. "Meet me at the hospital."  
  
"It's time?" he asked, jumping up from his desk and flying toward the door. "Donna!" he screamed.  
  
"It's time," he told her when she arrived at his side.  
  
Donna grinned and ran over to her desk, picking up the phone and calling Charlie. "Charlie," she said happily, "Code Pink."  
  
"Honey, just hang tight, keep breathing," Josh told her, shrugging into his suit jacket and grabbing his backpack from Donna. "I'm on my way." He turned to Donna.  
  
"Right behind you," she grinned, pushing him out the door.

* * *

Charlie opened the door to Oval Office and peered inside. "Mr. President, Leo, I'm sorry to interrupt."  
  
"What is it Charlie?" the President asked, his interest instantly peaked.  
  
Charlie grinned. "Code pink, sir."  
  
"That's it, folks," the President bellowed as he and Leo began racing around the room, gathering their belongings. Charlie held the door open as President and Leo flew past him on their way to the Portico.  
  
Josh came running out of a different exit, climbing into the limo behind the President and Leo. He was still on the phone with Eleanor. Abbey, both sets of Secret Service agents and a police escort were taking her to the hospital.  
  
"How far apart are the contractions?" Jed asked curiously.  
  
"Your dad wants to know how far apart the contractions are," Josh said into the phone. He listened for a moment; then made a face. "Honey, I'm not sure I can repeat that to the President of the United States."  
  
"Yeah," Jed groaned. "I was wondering when that was going to hit. Somebody should have warned you Josh. The Bartlet women turn into real witches during childbirth."  
  
"No, Honey," Josh said into the phone, desperately trying to swallow his grin as the limo took off down the driveway, "your father didn't call you a bitch."  
  
"Not yet, anyway," Jed said sarcastically.

* * *

Carol climbed the stairs to C.J.'s podium quickly, handing the Press Secretary a sheet of paper. C.J. accepted the sheet from her assistant and perused it quickly. She finally looked up, grinning widely.  
  
"Code pink," she laughed. "It is my extreme pleasure to announce to you that Eleanor Bartlet Lyman has officially gone into labor. She is in route, right now, to George Washington hospital. The President, Leo McGarry, and of course, Josh Lyman are all on their way there."  
  
The hand of each reporter shot into the air and the shouting began. C.J. did her best to talk over them. "Guys, I just got this. I don't have any information, you have to know that!"

* * *

The Presidential limo pulled into the ambulance bay outside George Washington hospital right behind the limo carrying Abbey and Eleanor. A nurse was loading Ellie into a wheelchair when Josh skidded to her side. He immediately took her hand and held it tight as the nurse began wheeling her through the entrance.  
  
Jed kissed Abbey on the cheek. "Hi, Grandma. How are you doing?"  
  
Abbey grinned. "I'm excellent, Grandpa." She looped her arm through Jed's and led him into the emergency room. "Her contractions are approximately 3 minutes apart and her water broke nearly a half hour ago," she began to detail. "I wasn't able to check her though, she started calling me names."  
  
"Can't be any worse than what you did to me," he answered, "three different times, I might add."  
  
"I was a perfect angel during the delivery of my girls, thank you very much," she responded, swatting Jed on the arm when she saw his eye roll.  
  
"Did anybody call Curtis?" Leo asked behind them as they made their way into the elevator, heading for Labor and Delivery.  
  
"I was calling the hotel just as Ellie was calling Josh," Abbey said, "He should be here any moment."  
  
Jed nodded to the Secret Service agent standing outside Delivery Room 3. "Must be the right place," he said as the agent held the door open. Ellie was already on the bed and the nurse was hooking up a fetal monitor to her stomach while Josh frantically paced the room. Abbey went immediately to Ellie's side, and Jed patted Josh on the shoulder. "Let's take a walk," he suggested.  
  
"No, thanks," Josh answered his father-in-law. "I need to stay here. I don't want Curtis to show up and me not be here."  
  
Two more nurses entered the room. One was holding a bag of saline solution and the other was holding an I.V. setup. Josh blanched at the sight. "Maybe we could just step outside," he said weakly.  
  
"Yeah," Jed answered. He and Leo followed Josh into the hallway, where he began to pace again. The older men simply leaned on the wall. "Josh?"  
  
"Yeah?" Josh asked, stopping his pacing for only a moment to look at Jed.  
  
"She and Emma are going to be fine," he answered reassuringly.  
  
"I know," Josh said, "You've done this before, I haven't. Let's not forget that."  
  
Curtis came running down the hallway and all three men turned to face him. The doctor was out of breath when he reached them and he bent down, placing his hands on his knees.  
  
"Jeez, Curt, you know they do have cabs in this city," Josh said with a frown.  
  
Curtis stood upright and took a deep breath, pointing at the door. "How is she?"  
  
"Fine," Josh answered, "the nurses are putting in an I.V."  
  
Curtis made a move for the door and Josh held his hand up and stepped in front of the entrance. "You're not going in there without me, and I'm not going in there until they're done."  
  
The two men faced off and Jed and Leo were concerned that fists were about to start flying again. A nurse opened the door and poked her head outside. "Mr. Lyman, we're done."  
  
"Good timing," Curtis replied with a smirk and pushed his way past Josh.  
  
Josh gritted his teeth and tightened his jaw, fighting the urge to rush in and tackle Curtis. Leo placed an encouraging hand on Josh's shoulder. "Be nice," he warned in his best fatherly tone.  
  
"I love my wife," Josh said under his breath while he ran a hand through his hair, "I love my wife."  
  
Leo laughed. "If that's going to keep you from slugging Curtis, I'd keep it up."  
  
Josh stepped inside the delivery room and leaned against the doorframe. Curtis was in the chair Abbey had recently occupied, holding Eleanor's hand, gushing about how much he had missed her and how excited he was about the baby. Josh fought a sudden, overwhelming urge to vomit.  
  
"Curtis," Ellie warned lightly, squeezing his hand, "Let's not get too excited yet. We could be in for a very long haul."  
  
Dr. Nicholas opened the door behind Josh and he stepped aside to allow her entrance into the crowded delivery room. "Good afternoon, everyone," she said brightly, picking up Ellie's chart and examining it quickly. Then she stepped over to the fetal monitor and lifted the tape.  
  
She turned to Ellie and patted her on the leg. "You're doing great, Ellie." She sat down on the edge of the bed and directed her attention to everyone else in the room. "Okay, folks, here's how this is going to go down," she began to explain. "In just a minute, we are going to draw blood and DNA samples from both Doctor West and Josh. Once Emma is born, we'll draw blood and DNA samples from her. Those will be rushed to an independent, anonymous lab here at the hospital. We will have the results of the paternity test about two hours after Emma's born."  
  
Josh swallowed hard and glanced over at Ellie. Tears glistened in his wife's eyes and he crossed over to her quickly, not caring if he was pushing past Curtis. He crawled onto the bed with her and wrapped his arms around her. Ellie rested her head on his chest and cried. "Josh," she whispered weakly, "I'm so sorry."  
  
"Hey," he said tenderly, "be sorry after they've stuck me with a needle. You know how much I hate that."  
  
Ellie laughed at the joke and tightened her grip on him. "I love you so much," she said.  
  
"I love you too," he responded, titling her face to his and kissing her lightly.  
  
TBC..... 


	49. Little Emma Joan

Disclaimer - I still don't own these characters. They are still the property of Josh Wells, NBC and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin.  
  
Rating - PG.  
  
Pairings - Josh/Ellie, Ellie/OC  
  
Spoilers – None  
  
Summary - Josh Lyman meets Eleanor Bartlet during the campaign and falls in love with the young, married medical student. For the purposes of my story, Ellie is several years older in this story and very different than she is on the show.

* * *

Josh held tightly to his wife's left leg as she bore down to push again. His daughter's head was crowning, or so he was being told. He had absolutely no desire to look anywhere below Ellie's waist.  
  
"Come on, Ellie," Doctor Nicholas encouraged, "One more big push and we'll have the shoulders."  
  
"Bite me," she yelled back, sweat pouring down her forehead. She turned to Josh, her eyes pleading. "I can't do this anymore."  
  
"You can, Honey," he answered tenderly, "Come on, just one more push."  
  
"One more to get the shoulders out, you moron!" she spat out. "Then another for the rest of her. God, I'm never doing this again!"  
  
"Come on, Rosie," Curtis echoed from his spot near Dr. Nicholas, "one more big push."  
  
"Have I mentioned in the last thirty seconds that I seriously hate all of you?"  
  
"Ellie, let's go," Dr. Nicholas said with an excited nod. Ellie braced herself, holding tight to Josh's hand and pushed again. "That's it, that's it...stop!"  
  
Dr. Nicholas gently pulled Emma out and held her up for Josh and Ellie to see. Josh blanched at the sight of his daughter covered in blood and some weird white gunk, and Ellie laughed weakly. "They are going to clean her off," she whispered.  
  
"I know," he answered as Dr. Nicholas looked up at him.  
  
"Do you and Curtis want to cut the cord?" she asked.  
  
Curtis began nodding furiously and Josh swallowed hard. "Well, if he's gonna, I better too," he surmised aloud. He took the scissors from Dr. Nicholas and made the first snip on Emma's umbilical cord; then handed them to Curtis, who freed the connection between mother and daughter.  
  
Dr. Nicholas handed Emma to one of the nurses who carried her over to a warming table to clean her off.  
  
"She's beautiful," Curtis cooed, carrying the video camera over to the table, preserving Emma's first few moments of life for posterity.  
  
"She will be beautiful," Josh joked, kissing Ellie gently. "When they get all that crap off her."  
  
Ellie laughed again weakly and rested her face against Josh's hand. "Now we wait," she said wistfully.  
  
"Yeah," he responded.  
  
"Her hair is red!" Curtis said excitedly, turning back to them. "Red and curly."  
  
"What a shock," Ellie answered sarcastically. The nurse wrapped Emma in a blanket and placed a small pink stocking cap on her head. She carried Emma over to Ellie and laid the baby in Ellie's waiting arms.  
  
"Look at what we did," she cooed, wiping the tears away from her eyes with her free hand. "She's gorgeous."  
  
"What a shock," Josh teased, stroking Emma's soft cheek. "She has you for a mother."  
  
Ellie smiled brightly and tilted her face up to her husband. "I love you so much."  
  
Josh was overcome with emotion as he watched his wife and baby daughter. Happy tears began spilling out of his eyes and he was helpless to stop the flow. He leaned down, kissing Ellie first, then Emma. At that moment, the results of the paternity test couldn't have been more insignificant. Ellie would always be his wife and Emma would always be his daughter.

* * *

Ellie was still cradling Emma in her arms when Dr. Nicholas arrived two hours and twenty-one minutes later with the results of the paternity test. Josh was sitting on the bed beside them and Curtis was in one of the recliners in the room. Ellie had kicked her parents and siblings, Josh's mother and Leo out of the room at the two-hour mark, anticipating Dr. Nicholas' arrival.  
  
"Sorry for the delay," she apologized as she made her way into the room. She stepped over to Ellie and Emma and stroked the sleeping baby's cheek. "You guys do good work," she said, "Emma is gorgeous."  
  
"What does is say?" Josh asked quietly.  
  
"I haven't looked at it," Dr. Nicholas answered. She handed the envelope to Ellie, who stared at it like it was a bomb.  
  
"Open it," Josh encouraged, his voice weak and cracking with emotion. Ellie handed Emma to Josh, who held his daughter to his heart while Ellie gingerly removed the contents of the envelope. Curtis sat on the edge of his seat, clasping his hands in front of him.  
  
"I'll step out now," Dr. Nicholas said, patting Eleanor's leg before making her exit.  
  
Ellie unfolded the paper and quickly read the results. Relief visibly washed over her face and Josh brought his lips down onto his daughter's curly red hair. She was his. His daughter – their daughter. He'd never been happier in all his life as he was at that very moment.  
  
Curtis hung his head down and wiped the tears from his eyes. Josh glanced over at him – his eyes filled with sympathy for the man he'd been at odds with for so long. It may have been the best day of Josh's life, but it was the worst day of Curtis's. He stood from the recliner and made his way over to them, stroking Emma's hair with his fingertip.  
  
Ellie took his hand in her own. "Curt," she began.  
  
He leaned down and quickly kissed her on the cheek. "She's beautiful," he said quietly, a tiny, weak smile forming on his lips. He stood and held his hand out to Josh. Josh took his hand and shook it. "Take care of our girls, okay?" Curtis asked.  
  
"Always," Josh responded.  
  
Curtis nodded and made his way over to the door, opening it and stepping out without another word. Seconds later, Josh and Ellie's family flooded into the room, all crying with joy and relief. Josh's mother Clara reached over and took a sleeping Emma from her father's arms, cradling her granddaughter and pressing light kisses on her forehead.  
  
"She's yours Mom," Josh told her, resting his chin on his mother's shoulder.  
  
Clara Lyman titled her head against her son's. "She would have been mine anyway," she answered, gently handing Emma back to Ellie.  
  
"Why don't we let them get some sleep?" Leo suggested, already taking Clara by the arm and leading everyone out of the room.  
  
"Thanks, Leo," Josh responded, crawling back onto the bed with Ellie and Emma.  
  
"She's ours," Ellie marveled, stroking Emma's cheek with her fingertips. "She's really and truly all ours."  
  
"There was never a doubt in my mind," Josh lied playfully, eliciting a soft swat on the arm from his wife. He snuggled in beside them, placing his arm right below Ellie's so that they could hold Emma together. "It's the law of averages, Ellie," he explained, quite seriously, "We made love, what, six times that night? You and Curtis did it once. So the odds were in my favor all along."  
  
"Well, I'm just glad it wasn't an upset," she answered with a sleepy grin.  
  
"Me too," he answered softly, stroking her hair until she fell asleep. He tightened his grip on his wife and daughter and close his eyes, letting the most happy, contented, peaceful sleep of his life finally claim him.  
  
Just one more chapter left... 


	50. Epilouge

Disclaimer - I still don't own these characters. They are still the property of Josh Wells, NBC and the fabulous Aaron Sorkin.  
  
Rating - PG.  
  
Pairings - Josh/Ellie, Ellie/OC  
  
Spoilers – None  
  
Summary - Josh Lyman meets Eleanor Bartlet during the campaign and falls in love with the young, married medical student. For the purposes of my story, Ellie is several years older in this story and very different than she is on the show.  
  
**A/N – Well, after fifty chapters it's finally time to end this little story. My thanks again to everyone who read and, especially, reviewed this story for me. Your encouraging words and thoughts have been truly inspirational to me.**

* * *

Josh fumbled with his bow tie, frowning as he attempted to tie it for the fifth time. The slick black satin slipped out of his fingers again and he let out a frustrated groan. "ELLIE!" he yelled.  
  
"Shhh!" she hissed, running around the corner, holding the hem of her formal dress up so that she wouldn't trip on it. "Emma's sleeping."  
  
"I can't tie this damn thing," he complained, holding it out to her. Ellie rolled her eyes and slipped the tie around his neck. "Why does my daughter's first birthday require a tuxedo and a bow tie, anyway?" he complained.  
  
"Because your daughter is also the granddaughter of the leader of the free world," she reminded him, tugging the satin securely around his neck. She laced her hands behind his neck and kissed him gently.  
  
"She's not even going to be awake for half of this party, you do realize that?" he asked irritably.  
  
"That's all you have to say to me?" she pouted playfully, taking a step back from him. "Have you seen this dress?" she asked, waving her hand over the emerald green fabric.  
  
"I have," he answered with a nod, visibly admiring her figure, "and I am fighting with every fiber of my being not to rip it off you."  
  
Ellie beamed. "So, you're going to bitch about your bow tie instead?"  
  
"Whatever works," he responded with a grin, pulling her close to him again and kissing her.

* * *

Josh cradled Emma in his arms, one arm beneath her legs and another wrapped around her tiny waist so that she could face her adoring crowd. A steward began rolling in Emma's huge pink birthday cake to the strains of "Happy Birthday". Emma bounced happily in her father's arms, her tiny white patent leather slippers beating in time to the music, delighting in all the attention and off-key singing.  
  
Jed Bartlet stepped up to the cake and raised his champagne glass. "To my granddaughter, Emma Joan Lyman, may all of your wishes always come true." He leaned over and kissed her on the head. "Make a wish, my little angel."  
  
Josh held Emma over her birthday cake and, with Ellie, leaned over to blow out her candle for her. The guests erupted in applause and took sips of their champagne. Emma yawned her approval.  
  
"Okay, time for presents before the little Princess retires for the evening," Abbey announced, motioning for everyone to gather around the two chairs that had been set up in the middle of a circle. Ellie and Josh took the places of honor and Josh settled Emma onto his lap, trying not to wrinkle the pink taffeta of her dress.  
  
Ellie picked up the first present and sat it on her lap, taking the card off and opening it. "This is from," she said as she read, "Grandma and Grandpa." She nodded to her parents and ripped the paper off, revealing a pint-size lap top computer. "Okay, guys, she's one year old," she said, frowning and laughing as she examined the gift.  
  
"She's already the most brilliant one year old in the entire world," Jed answered, "I'm just trying to encourage it."  
  
"She's going to be the first woman President," Leo chimed in. "We're all counting on it."  
  
"Yeah, no pressure there," Josh responded with an eye roll.  
  
Ellie stood to open a large present. "This one is from Poppy and Jordan," she said, grinning at Leo. She pulled the soft pink and white paper away to reveal the box for a red metal tricycle.  
  
"I had one of those as a kid," he explained excitedly. "I thought she ought to have a tricycle just like Poppy's."  
  
"It's wonderful, Leo, thank you," Ellie said, crossing over to kiss him on the cheek.  
  
"Open Sam's," Josh gently commanded, "He's been way too quiet about it."  
  
Ellie sifted through the mountain of packages until she found a card with Emma's name scrawled in Sam's penmanship. She opened the card and pulled it out, frowning as she read the inside. "Hope you can find a use for this, Emma. Love, Sam and Donna."  
  
Josh glanced over to where the couple sat hand in hand, awaiting the opening of the package. Ellie gingerly removed the bow and placed it to the side. Josh fought the urge to grab the package away from her and rip it open. She slid the top of the box off and moved the tissue paper away, reaching in and pulling out a beautiful, long white gown.  
  
"What the?" Josh questioned, taking the dress away from Ellie and examining it.  
  
"It's a flower girl dress," Donna said quietly. "Sam and I were kind of hoping...."  
  
"You're getting married?" Josh shrieked.  
  
"Yes," Donna answered with a nod. Sam was still silent, beaming with pride as Donna held out her left hand, revealing a diamond engagement ring.  
  
Josh handed Emma to Ellie and stood, crossing over to where Sam and Donna were sitting. Donna rose up and was immediately enveloped into Josh's arms.  
  
"This calls for more champagne!" the President bellowed, waving his hand animatedly while Josh held his assistant.  
  
"You're okay with this?" she asked tentatively.  
  
"I'm a little hacked off that I was left out of the loop, but yeah, I'm great with it," he answered with a small shrug. He released her and latched on to Sam, pulling his best friend into a bear hug. "You hurt her, I'll kill you," Josh warned.  
  
"If I hurt her, I'll kill myself," Sam responded, eliciting a huge grin from Josh.  
  
Josh sat down again and took a quick swipe at his eyes. Ellie reached down and picked up another present. She handed it to Josh, while she held Emma. The present was small, but beautifully wrapped, with no card. Josh raised an eyebrow playfully. "One year old and she's already got secret admirers?" he teased.  
  
A small gasp escaped his lips as he ripped the paper away from the gift – it was a book entitled "I'm the Big Sister." Josh scratched his head and looked at his wife, who was grinning from ear to ear with tears in her eyes. "You're..." he stammered, "We're..."  
  
Ellie nodded. "Eight weeks," she responded. He shook his head in shock and reached his hand behind hers, crushing his lips down on hers.  
  
"Aw, hell," Jed responded with a frown. "He knocked my daughter up AGAIN!"  
  
"There ought to be a law," Leo said with a grin, slapping his best friend on the shoulder.  
  
"Yeah, maybe I oughta run for President or something," Jed teased.  
  
Ellie and Josh broke apart for air while the crowd around them applauded their approval. He kissed Ellie's forehead and then reached for his daughter, standing her on his legs. "You're going to be a big sister, Emma," he said in a sing-song voice. "What do you think about that?"  
  
Emma bounced on Josh's legs and said, "ba, ba, ba, ba, ba." Josh kissed her on the cheek and turned to Jed, who was doing his absolute best to frown and glare at his son-in-law.  
  
"What was that about not sticking around for the long haul?" Josh joked.  
  
The President dismissed the comment with a wave of his hand. "A year and a half and two kids do not equal the long haul," he answered. "You still have a long way to go, Joshua."  
  
"I can't wait," he answered honestly, kissing Ellie again.  
  
The End. 


End file.
